Immersive Virtual Environment for Automotive Security Education

As automotive systems increasingly incorporate electronics, software, and sensors, they become complex and widely distributed cyber-physical systems. This complexity makes them more susceptible to cyber-attacks. Nevertheless, despite its great need, the cybersecurity of automotive systems needs to be better understood, even by key stakeholders. This article presents an immersive virtual environment (IVE) platform that enhances the understanding of cybersecurity in automotive systems, focusing on ranging sensor attacks. By utilizing virtual reality (VR), the platform provides a hands-on experience for users to explore and comprehend cyber-attack implications. User studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the platform, revealing statistically significant improvements in participants’ knowledge, engagement, and self-efficacy related to automotive security. The findings underscore the potential of immersive learning tools in automotive security education, with IVE demonstrating a substantial impact on participants’ comprehension and interest in automotive security.