What standards does Phone as a Key from Huf meet on the car side?

Phone as a Key from Huf meets all important standards on the car side in terms of connectivity, compatibility, and security. This includes

• an AUTOSAR-based software architecture,
• connectivity according to CCC standards,
• compliance with Thatcham security requirements and
• ISO/SAE 21434 compliance.

For example, Phone as a Key uses Ultra Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC) for signal transmission and positioning. That's a lot of technical terms - and what's the point? Quite simple, the interaction of the standards in Phone as a Key creates a modular, highly integrable and customizable system that offers a hands-free experience for car access that is as secure as it is precise. Find out more how this works in detail here.

AUTOSAR: Almost unlimited system integration into car architectures

To be able to integrate electronics and software in a wide variety of cars worldwide, a standardized technological basis is needed. The AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture development partnership, or AUTOSAR for short, exists precisely for this purpose. This cooperation of car manufacturers, suppliers, as well as electronics, semiconductor, and software companies is working to provide an open, scalable software architecture for electronic control units (ECUs) in cars.

Phone as a Key from Huf is AUTOSAR-compliant. This means that the Phone as a Key software modules can be easily integrated into suitable electronic control units of car architectures. The advantages for car manufacturers and suppliers are manifold:

• AUTOSAR-compliant basic software modules can be used in a wide variety of cars without major development effort.
• The software is scalable thanks to its openness, easy to transfer due to the uniform application interfaces, and - especially important for customer branding - customizable.

In addition, sustainability is an important aspect of the AUTOSAR development partnership. The standardized, modular software architecture ensures that components can be reused and upgraded, which means that fewer resources must be spent on new developments. It also ensures that the electronic control units can be easily maintained over the entire product life cycle. This approach is in line with the sustainability efforts of Huf Group: "As an automotive supplier, Huf also supports its customers in the automotive industry in neutralizing the environmental impact of car production and traffic. In addition, sustainability is an integral part of the values of Huf as a family-owned company," as Tom Graf, CEO of Huf, already emphasized in spring 2021.

CCC "Digital Key": Secure communication between car and smartphone

The ECUs in cars must be able to communicate with the digital car keys on a wide variety of smartphones. This also requires powerful and secure technological standards. As a leading specialist for car access and authorization systems, Huf is therefore a member of the Car Connectivity Consortium, or CCC for short.

Car doors can now be conveniently opened by smart devices. Whereas it was once necessary to prevent keys from being refiled, the task now is to make relay station attacks impossible. The requirements for the security of locking systems in cars are becoming more complex and are shifting into cloud- and software-based realms.

How theft-proof new cars and their locking systems are is checked, for example, by the British driving safety institute Thatcham Research. Key factors for a good hands-free access system are accurate location and prevention of signal extension by third parties.

Compared to other radio technologies, UWB achieves an enormously high level of localization accuracy - around the entire car as well as in the cabin. The system therefore precisely detects whether the authorization key is in the car and only then enables the engine to be started. Relay station attacks, in which thieves can extend radio signals and thus open cars, are not possible with this technology.

The localization algorithms of Huf Phone as a Key are designed to meet the highest security requirements and allow only a minimal tolerance range. Phone as a Key thus meets Thatcham security requirements and offers a high level of theft protection.

ISO/SAE 21434: Cyber security management system for cars

The ISO/SAE 21434 standard "Road cars - Cybersecurity engineering" is a cyber security standard for cars. It applies to OEMs as well as system integrators and suppliers in the automotive industry. It was developed by a working group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The central points of the standard are threat analysis and risk assessment as well as the security of all electrical and electronic systems during the entire life cycle of a car.

The process-oriented standard goes hand in hand with the EU regulation on cyber security. The Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) has accordingly developed a certification for a cyber security management system (CSMS): Since July 2022, a mandatory proof for a cyber security management system in the automotive sector is required according to UN/ECE 155.

Huf Phone as a Key complies with ISO/SAE 21434. The global Phone as a Key team has conducted a comprehensive analysis and risk assessment, providing customers with a confident assessment in line with the new standard to identify and prevent early points of attack in the digital space.

Huf thus continues to be at the forefront of new technological developments - as it has been for more than 100 years - and, as a member of the CCC, is actively shaping the future of mobility.