Vehicular networks are very likely to be deployed in the coming years and thus become the most relevant form of mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, we address the security of these networks. We provide a detailed threat analysis and devise an appropriate security architecture. We also describe some major design decisions still to be made, which in some cases have more than mere technical implications. We provide a set of security protocols, we show that they protect privacy and we analyze their robustness and efficiency.

Vehicular networks are likely to become the most relevant form of mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, we address the security of these networks. We provide a detailed threat analysis and devise an appropriate security architecture. We also describe some major design decisions still to be made, which in some cases have more than mere technical implications. We provide a set of security protocols, we show that they protect privacy and we analyze their robustness, and we carry out a quantitative assessment of the proposed solution.

Significant developments took place over the past few years in the area of vehicular communication (VC) systems. Now, it is well-understood in the community that security and protection of private user information are a prerequisite for the deployment of the technology. This is so exactly because the benefits of VC systems, with the mission to enhance transportation safety and efficiency, are at stake. Without the integration of strong and practical security and privacy enhancing mechanisms, VC systems could be disrupted or disabled even by relatively unsophisticated attackers. We address this problem within the SeVeCom project, having developed a security architecture that provides a comprehensive and practical solution. We present our results in a set of two papers in this issue. In this first one, we analyze threats and types of adversaries, we identify security and privacy requirements, and present a spectrum of mechanisms to secure VC systems. We provide a solution that can be quickly adopted and deployed. Our progress towards implementation of our architecture, along with results on the performance of the secure VC system, are presented in the second paper. We conclude with an investigation, based on current results, of upcoming elements to be integrated in our secure VC architecture.

Initiatives to create safer and more efficient driving conditions have recently begun to draw strong support. Vehicular communications (VC) will play a central role in this effort, enabling a variety of applications for safety, traffic efficiency, driver assistance, and infotainment. For example, warnings for environmental hazards (e.g., ice on the pavement) or abrupt vehicle kinetic changes (e.g., emergency braking), traffic and road conditions (e.g., congestion or construction sites), and tourist information downloads will be provided by these systems.Vehicular networking protocols will allow nodes, that is, vehicles or roadside infrastructure units, to communicate with each other over single or multiple hops. In other words, nodes will act both as end points and routers, with vehicular networks emerging as the first commercial instantiation of the mobile ad hoc networking technology.The self-organizing operation and the unique features of VC are a double-edged sword: a rich set of tools are offered to drivers and authorities, but a formidable set of abuses and attacks becomes possible. Hence, the security of vehicular networks is indispensable, because otherwise these systems could make antisocial and criminal behavior easier, in ways that would actually jeopardize the benefits of their deployment. What makes VC security hard to achieve is the tight coupling between applications, with rigid requirements, and the networking fabric, as well as the societal, legal, and economical considerations. Solutions to this problem involve industry, governments, and academia, and can have a broad impact.In this article we are specifically concerned with the following problem: how to design and build vehicular communication protocols and systems that leave as little space as possible for misbehavior and abuse and, at the same time, remain resilient to ongoing attacks. We present an analysis of the vulnerabilities of vehicular networks and the salient challenges in securing their operation. Then we propose our architectural view of how VC can be secured, along with a brief (due to space limitations) overview of novel certificate revocation protocols tailored to the VC environment. Finally, we survey related works and discuss a few open issues in this emerging area of research. VULNERABILITIES AND CHALLENGES VULNERABILITIESAny wireless-enabled device that runs a rogue version of the vehicular communication protocol stack poses a threat. We denote such rogue devices deviating from the defined protocols as adversaries or attackers.The adoption of a variant of the widely deployed IEEE 802.11 protocol 1 by the vehicle manufacturers makes the attacker's task easier. And even possession of credentials cannot ensure alone the correct operation of the nodes. The effects of differing types of attackers (internal or external, rational or malicious, independent or colluding, persistent or random) can clearly differ. Here, rather than analyzing specific protocols, we are after a general exploration of VC vulnerabilities.Jamming -The jamm...