Intellectual Property (IP)

Car manufacturers invest significant amounts of money and time in developing IP, especially in the context of autonomous systems.

Why IP protection is crucial for the automotive industry


As the automotive industry moves towards autonomous driving, the use of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, is becoming increasingly common. With this growth comes the need to protect valuable intellectual property (IP) from being stolen or misused by competitors.

Car manufacturers invest significant amounts of money and time in developing IP, especially in the context of autonomous systems. These systems rely on various technologies, including software, algorithms, and hardware, which are developed and refined through extensive research and development. Protecting this IP is critical to the success of the automotive industry, as it allows manufacturers to maintain a competitive edge and continue to innovate.

Limited resource prevents robust and effective security measures


Protecting software IP in embedded devices, particularly in the automotive industry, presents a number of significant challenges. The first major challenge is the limited resources available on these devices, both in terms of memory and power. This makes it difficult to implement robust and effective security measures, as any added overhead must be carefully considered to avoid impacting system performance. In addition to these hardware limitations, real-time requirements in embedded systems further complicate the task of IP protection. Any additional processing time required for security measures must be balanced against these real-time requirements, which cannot be compromised without potentially catastrophic consequences. Moreover, the constantly evolving nature of the threat landscape and the increasing sophistication of attackers mean that IP protection measures must be constantly updated and improved to remain effective over time. This requires a high level of expertise that is often not available in-house and necessitates the engagement of specialised experts.

Protecting IP is critical to maintaining competitive edge


Car manufacturers should prioritise protecting their intellectual property (IP) as it is crucial to their success and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry. By investing in IP protection, manufacturers can safeguard their machine learning models and other valuable technology, preventing them from being stolen by competitors. This helps to preserve the manufacturers’ innovation and R&D investments, as well as maintaining a higher level of security in their embedded systems. Ultimately, protecting IP will lead to the development of more advanced and sophisticated systems, benefitting both the manufacturers and the consumers by providing better, safer, and more efficient cars. Emproof Nyx can help with that.

Critical functions are protected with Emproof Nyx


With tamper detection, real-time exploitation prevention, and specially hardened code obfuscation features, Emproof Nyx is tailored for use in embedded systems, making it lightweight and low-overhead, thus well-suited for real-time processing. Unlike other solutions, Emproof Nyx is also flexible, allowing run-time critical parts to remain untouched to avoid interrupting timing critical functions. Additionally, it does not require access to the source code, enabling vendors to secure their valuable IP without exposing it.

A sustainable security solution for the automotive industry


Emproof Nyx is a specialised software solution that provides effective protection against IP theft and reverse engineering in critical car systems such as ECU. With the internationally recognised functional safety certification, ISO26262, Emproof NYX has been independently reviewed to ensure the highest level of safety standards throughout the product development process. ISO 26262 for automotive functional safety was established as a global standard by the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) in 2011 to minimise risks from electric or electronic system malfunction in vehicles.

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