Post-quantum cryptography for automotive components (PARFAIT)

How can it be ensured that automotive components are secure over their entire life cycle - even if quantum computers threaten the security of currently used cryptographic algorithms? In the PARFAIT project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), researchers at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences are working with partners from industry and research to investigate new methods for cryptographic agility, migration strategies and how post-quantum cryptography (PQC) can be used in automotive components.

Modern vehicles and infrastructure components such as charging stations have a very long lifetime and protection against cyber attacks must be permanently guaranteed. As the cryptographic algorithms and protocols used can become insecure, e.g., due to quantum computers, cryptographic agility must be guaranteed and PQC must be supported. This requires migration strategies and protocols must be designed accordingly. Without appropriate solutions, regulations such as UNECE R155 cannot be complied with.

The aim of PARFAIT is to make PQC usable in the automotive industry. In the HDA sub-project, the focus is on solving the problem of the long-term security of automotive components. In order to achieve this, the concepts of cryptoagility, hybrid processes, and fail-safe methods, which have essentially been considered separately to date, are being combined into new solutions with special consideration of PQC and beyond. These are then integrated into the relevant automotive protocols and thus implemented in the vehicle architecture as part of the overall joint project. 

Vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, and research partners are involved in the project. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the "Getting post-quantum cryptography into applications" funding line over a period of three years.