Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

USM Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

First Advisor

Dt. Cassandra Dove

Second Advisor

Dr. :ori Sussman

Third Advisor

Prof. Andrew Hughen

Keywords

Vehicular cybersecurity, Air National Guard, CANBUS, On-Board Diagnostics System, data collection

Abstract

The purpose of this study determines the vulnerabilities, threats, and potential mitigation strategies for the cybersecurity of modern vehicles in use by the Air National Guard. In order to better determine a course of action to provide these mitigations, research is conducted to determine the best practices that Airmen can employ to bolster and ensure their security and safety while in transit in these vehicles. These vehicles are identical to those found in civilian markets that are used for fleet vehicle purposes and share the same on-board communications systems to transmit data to and from the vehicle for the purposes of data collection and driver assistance. Data was collected to realize the number of vehicles that have been affected by security threats, and it was found that while security standards and counter measures do exist, more work needs to be performed by agencies to counter threats to vehicle systems like the CANBUS, On-Board Diagnostics System, and learn more about incorporating protections against radio frequency spoofing. Such agencies include the Air National Guard, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By improving these systems and subsystems, the security and safety of military personnel in transit will be bolstered to an acceptable level to protect them and the potentially sensitive equipment they are carrying.

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