Farah joined SystemX in April 2017 to complete her PhD thesis on Validation Platform for Vehicle Secure and Highly Trusted Communications in the Context of the Cooperative ITS. She looks back at her doctorate work which was performed within the SCA project (Secure Cooperative Autonomous systems).
What was the topic of your PHD thesis?
The vehicles of the future will be more and more communicative and cooperative in order to improve road safety. Car manufacturers have opened the transport system allowing these vehicles to communicate with each other and their environment. However, this openness of the system creates new cybersecurity threats.
As part of my PhD, I performed a risk analysis on the existing ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) cooperative system. To do so, I used the architecture proposed by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) and used by the SCA project. This work allowed me to identify the vulnerabilities and possible cybersecurity attacks within the ITS cooperative system and analyse the criteria for achieving each risk. I then carried out an implementation phase of the attacks deemed critical according to the risk analysis to better understand the attacker’s capabilities and the system’s security vulnerabilities. At the end of my work, I proposed countermeasures to protect the system against cyber attacks.
Another aspect of my dissertation was the study of privacy protection techniques in ITS cooperative systems. More specifically, I carried out feasibility tests of existing protection solutions in real conditions on runways.
What special memories do you recall from your dissertation?
IRT SystemX represents a very rich research environment, offering me the possibility to collaborate closely with academic and industrial players. I had many opportunities to present my work and get very constructive comments, and the follow-up was excellent. The strong mentoring network for doctoral students also allowed me to share my work by participating in several events (such as Thesis Day, DigiHall Day).
Can you tell us about your favourite memory from your time with SystemX?
I was selected to present my thesis work to the Scientific and Technological Council of the institute in April 2018. The feedback from the members of this council, each expert in their own fields, allowed me to enrich my dissertation work. I’m glad that I prepared myself well for this exercise.
What are your plans for the future?
I was recruited at IRT SystemX as a research engineer within the SCA project. I will continue the work from my dissertation on the implementation of attacks on real equipment and contribute to the dissemination of the results of the project during scientific events.
Read more about Farah:
Name of PhD dissertation: Validation Platform for Vehicle Secure and Highly Trusted Communications in the Context of the Cooperative ITS
Name of Institution: Renault, Télécom ParisTech
Last qualification obtained before starting on the PhD: Master’s Degree in Computer Science, specialising in Security – University of Pierre et Marie Curie (Sorbonne University)
