The telematics control unit is in a similar situation in terms of cyber-threats
and possible attack vectors, because the TCU serves as a gateway between the external 
world and the IVN.
    Vulnerable on two fronts, it can be attacked via both the external cellular
network and the in-vehicle network. A full transition to the use of automotive
Ethernet, using IP (internet protocol), increases the risk of a remote attack being
launched against an electronic control unit (ECU). 

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Telematics generates a vast amount of data, including a detailed history of vehicle
and driver activities and operations. This data type is beneficial within an
organization for controlling fuel and maintenance costs, increasing productivity 
and safety, and minimizing risk. Using telematics for collision reconstruction or
benchmarking can generate even greater insight.

Protecting that valuable data is essential. If accessed by a malicious party, there
could be severe consequences, potentially jeopardizing customer accounts, schedules,
shipments, location of assets, and personal information. Cybercrimes are committed
because there is value to be gained from data, whether that data is a collection
of usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers,
or — as we’ll see — telematics data.

As businesses gravitate towards software-based systems and working in the cloud,
telematics data security will become an even more significant challenge.
Telematics systems are expansive and multi-tiered: physical hardware, radio 
systems, software servers, and human agents. Because there are many components
involved, the potential threats [1,2] are numerous and can include 
    theft, GPS jamming, cellular sniffing, firmware manipulation, server exploits,
and phishing.


**SECURE DATA TRANSFER
 
The telematics device sends data from the vehicle to the central server over a
cellular connection. Although varying by territory, provider, and infrastructure,
cellular communication is commonly done over 2G, 3G and 4/5G networks, which can
have unique vulnerabilities.

A secure communication channel can be established with the use of encryption.
Encryption is the process of encoding a message such that only the sender and
recipient would be able to view the message. To an outside party, like an attacker,
this encoded message would appear as a meaningless collection of symbols.
The intended recipient of the message, using a unique key, can turn this collection
of symbols into intelligible information.

As such, a typically vulnerable channel like a cellular network can be made secure
by encrypting the messages sent from a telematics device to the destination server.
Because of its mathematical properties, strong encryption cannot be decrypted
trivially even by powerful computers.