March 18, 2022
LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS – March 18, 2022 – UL, a global safety science leader, today announced that the company has been designated by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) as a technical service for auditing and testing of vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, trucks and buses, for compliance with two key United Nations automotive cybersecurity regulations. These regulations include United Nations Regulation No. 155 (UN R155), covering cybersecurity and requiring that connected vehicles have a certified cybersecurity management system (CSMS), and United Nations Regulation No. 156 (UN R156), covering software updates management system (SUMS) for connected vehicles. Approval from RDW of a vehicle's compliance with UN R155 and UN R156 also applies for all 27 European Union countries and 37 countries worldwide, including Australia, Japan, South Korea and throughout the United Kingdom, among others.
The CSMS framework serves as a systematic risk-based approach defining organizational processes, responsibilities and governance to manage risk associated with vehicle cyberthreats. The Software Update Management framework defines systematic control and compliance with established guidelines to ensure that a software update does not reduce vehicle safety.
“RDW has worked closely with UL for many years, and that includes the preparation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulations R155 and R156 for cybersecurity and software updates and the ISO/SAE 21434 industry standard for automotive cybersecurity engineering,” said Gerard Doll, director of Vehicle Regulation and Vehicle Admission at RDW. “UL brings expertise from other ecosystems with significant security governance, which are multi-stakeholder, global in nature, and combining information technology and operational technology, similar to the automotive industry. We are pleased that we can continue to leverage UL’s expertise to help ensure that any connected vehicle innovations introduced into Dutch roads are done so in a safe and secure manner.”
UN R155 and UN R156, addressing software updates and software update management systems, were passed by UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and focus on cybersecurity and software updates for vehicles by establishing clear performance and audit requirements for car manufacturers. They require the implementation of measures across four distinct areas:
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Managing vehicle cyber risks
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Securing vehicles by design and mitigating risks along the value chain
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Detecting and responding to security incidents across the vehicle fleet
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Providing safe and secure software updates and ensuring vehicle safety is not compromised, introducing a legal basis for Over-the-Air (OTA) updates to software on the vehicle
With over 500 international security experts, UL works with customers worldwide with industry-leading working knowledge of automotive standards and best practices. UL’s representatives serve as participants and advisers on key standards groups and industry consortiums, such as the International Organization for Standardization, the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and more. UL also has extensive expertise in cybersecurity with a global network of Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) security laboratories, security experts and advisers with specialized expertise in global security standards, frameworks and best practices for the automotive ecosystem.
“Increasing consumer expectations are pushing automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to transform and increase the speed of innovation while building and maintaining trust. Automotive and mobility companies understand they must innovate to remain competitive,” said Chante Maurio, vice president and general manager of UL’s Identity Management and Security group. “With rising expectations for connectivity, interoperability, transparency and safety paired with rapid advancements in electric and autonomous vehicles, they must create safe and secure innovations that consumers can trust. While these opportunities and the challenges are immense, we, at UL, are honored to play a role in helping drive their success and to continue cooperative relationships with RDW and other regulators, approval authorities and the automotive industry for a safer and more secure world.”
About UL
UL is a global safety science leader. We deliver testing, inspection and certification (TIC), training and advisory services, risk management solutions and essential business insights to help our customers, based in more than 100 countries, achieve their safety, security and sustainability goals. We believe our deep knowledge of products and intelligence across supply chains make us the partner of choice for customers with complex challenges. Discover more at UL.com.
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