Asia Pacific Automotive Cybersecurity

Taipei, Taiwan — 28 April 2022 — CyCraft Technology, a world-leading cybersecurity firm based in Taiwan, announced they will join forces with local security firm 菱鏡股份有限公司 (菱鏡 meaning “prism” in Chinese, referred to as TrapaSecurity) to build an automotive cyber security research team. Aligned in their efforts to continually foster innovation and build momentum, CyCraft and TrapaSecurity aim to pool their technical expertise and research talents to better secure Internet-connected vehicles and drivers.

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Rising Security Concerns

As the global electric vehicle (EV) market continues to rise so do cybersecurity concerns, such as with over-the-air (OTA) software update architecture. OTA is only one of a myriad of concerns as it can serve as a major attack vector for malicious cyberattacks. These concerns, as well as recent international regulations (ISO/SAE 21434, UN R155, and UN R156), have driven tremendous growth in the automotive cybersecurity market. In 2021, the automotive cybersecurity market in the Asia Pacific region was valued at 1.2B USD and is projected to reach 4.9B by 2030.

“As early as 2017, CyCraft has been involved in automotive cybersecurity research. In our 2018 report 從網路安全到汽車攻擊 (From Cybersecurity to Vehicle Hacking), we discussed the expanding attack surface of vehicles, and the importance continuous digital forensic technology will play for Vehicle SOCs in the future. Four years later, the importance of automotive cybersecurity has not only increased but has become a common pain point in the industry. There is a growing demand for cybersecurity specialists.

Talent in this field isn’t found; it’s cultivated. Through our collaboration with TrapaSecurity, we will not only cultivate talent but also be able to conduct the in-depth research necessary to develop effective and efficient solutions for 21st-century automotive security.”
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— PK Tsung, CyCraft Co-Founder and CSO

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The Next Generation of Cybersecurity Talent

The global race towards digitization has given way to cyberattacks across every industry and sector from one individual’s livelihood to international enterprises. The lack of both quality and quantity of relevant cybersecurity talent has become a common talking point in the global cybersecurity community.

Through their various high-school and university intern programs as well as their strong support for the local Taiwan hacker community (HITCON, HITCON GIRLS, and the myriad of CTF teams), CyCraft is fully committed to not only developing the next generation of cybersecurity solutions but also cultivating the next generation of cybersecurity talent to help lead the way in the coming decades.

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Although young in age, the founding members of TrapaSecurity have proven their technical capability and knowledge by participating in and winning world-class hacking competitions (such as Capture the Flag competitions, or CTF). CyCraft has already collaborated with TrapaSecurity in the past on several security reports, including risk research on vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) and automotive telematics-boxes (T-Box) for Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

“Since the founding of the TrapaSecurity team, we have and will continue to invest in vulnerability research. We’re always looking to expand our research into other fields. Collaborating with CyCraft allows us to strengthen and enrich the depth and breadth of each other’s research.”

— Chao Chengyu, TrapaSecurity CEO

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TrapaSecurity is composed of former HITCON CTF team members who have fought in international hacking competitions for years and have proven their ability to design, decipher, and host large-scale CTF competitions. After founding TrapaSecurity in 2020, they have continued honing their technical skills through major international information security competitions, assisting in vulnerability research, product security assessments, CTF competition honing, and cybersecurity services training.

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The Future of Asia Pacific Automotive Cybersecurity

The newly formed Automotive Cybersecurity research team comprised of both CyCraft and TrapaSecurity will focus on vehicle cyberattack scenario research, creating a measurable evaluation methodology for Internet of Vehicle (IoV) threats, building a universal attack framework, and ultimately assisting manufacturers and their supply chain in hardening their defense and improving their overall defensive posture.

It is hoped that through the continued research of automotive cybersecurity and the development of continuous digital forensic technology, Taiwan will establish itself as a leader in the field of vehicle cybersecurity research and prevention not only in the Asia Pacific but globally.

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About TrapaSecurity

TrapaSecurity is an information security research firm founded in 2020. Their team has extensive research experience in different information security fields, including Windows, Mobile, and IoT security. They are also experienced CTF players and organizers and have participated in international CTF tournaments as the HITCON CTF Team, achieving second place at DEF CON 22, 25, and 27. At present, TrapaSecurity provides on-demand vulnerability research, product security assessment, CTF hosting and training, and cybersecurity services training. TrapaSecurity focuses on Windows, Mobile, IoT, and EV Security research as well as continued excellence in various international hacker competitions.

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Learn more about TRAPA