Cybersecurity in Intelligent Transportation Systems: An Analysis of Threats Protection Mechanisms, and Operational Resilience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65405/1m0txs45Keywords:
Intelligent Transportation Systems; cybersecurity; connected vehicles; V2X security; cyber resilience; operational resilience; data poisoning; risk managementAbstract
This paper examines cybersecurity in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) as cyber-physical systems in which connected vehicles, road infrastructure, communication networks, traffic management centers, and data analytics platforms interact.
The paper aims to answer four research questions: (1) What are the main categories of cyber threats in ITS according to the system layer and affected asset? (2) How adequate are the available protection mechanisms, and what are their limitations? (3) How can security controls be linked to operational resilience indicators? (4) What components should an analytical matrix for selecting controls and evaluating their effectiveness include?
The paper adopts a scoping review methodology following the PRISMA-ScR framework. It covers 1,240 records from the databases IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and TRID for the period from January 2019 to October 2026, of which 62 studies were included in the qualitative analysis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The paper concludes that individual controls are insufficient; prevention, detection, response, and recovery must be combined. It proposes an expanded analytical matrix that links threats to affected assets, operational impact, protection mechanisms, and verification indicators.
Downloads
References
• Abdo, A., Chen, H., Zhao, X., Wu, G., & Feng, Y. (2024). Cybersecurity on connected and automated transportation systems: A survey. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, 9(1), 1382–1401. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIV.2023.3326736
• Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32.
• Avcı, İ., & Koca, M. (2024). Intelligent transportation system technologies, challenges and security. Applied Sciences, 14(11), Article 4646. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114646
• Al-Ashqar, A. A. M. (2026). The Role of Knowledge Management in Achieving Quality Assurance in Higher Education at Libyan Universities. Shihab Journal of Humanities, 2(3), 699-705.
• CAMP LLC. (2021). Security Credential Management System (SCMS) proof-of-concept final report. Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership / U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Cargile, C., et al. (2023). V2X PKI and trust management: Challenges and solutions. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 25(3), 1845–1872.
• ETSI. (2026). Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS); Security; Security header and certificate formats; Release 2 (ETSI TS 103 097 V2.2.1). European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
• Ganin, A. A., et al. (2019). Resilience in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Transportation Research Part C, 100, 318–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2019.01.016
• Hahn, D. A., Munir, A., & Behzadan, V. (2021). Security and privacy issues in intelligent transportation systems: Classification and challenges. IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, 13(1), 181–196. https://doi.org/10.1109/MITS.2019.2898973
• Harris, W. J., & Harris, C. (1997). Protecting our transportation systems: An information security awareness overview. U.S. Department of Transportation.
• International Organization for Standardization, & SAE International. (2021). ISO/SAE 21434:2021 Road vehicles—Cybersecurity engineering. ISO.
• Kelarestaghi, K. B., et al. (2021). Intelligent transportation system security: Impact-oriented risk assessment. IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, 13(2), 91–104.
• Lamssaggad, A., Benamar, N., Hafid, A. S., & Msahli, M. (2021). A survey on the current security landscape of intelligent transportation systems. IEEE Access, 9, 9180–9208. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3053429
• National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2021). Developing cyber-resilient systems: A systems security engineering approach (NIST SP 800-160 Vol. 2 Rev. 1). U.S. Department of Commerce.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2022). Secure software development framework (SSDF) version 1.1 (NIST SP 800-218). U.S. Department of Commerce.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2024). Post-quantum cryptography standards (FIPS 203, 204, 205). U.S. Department of Commerce.
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2021). The minimum elements for a software bill of materials (SBOM). U.S. Department of Commerce.
• Pascoe, C., Quinn, S., & Scarfone, K. (2024). The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 (NIST CSWP 29). National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.29
• Pavão, J., Bastardo, R., & da Rocha, N. P. (2024). Cyber resilience and intelligent transport systems, a scoping review. Procedia Computer Science, 239, 139–148.
• Quattrone, A., et al. (2023). Privacy-preserving techniques for intelligent transportation systems: A survey. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 24(5), 4821–4840.
• Shostack, A. (2014). Threat modeling: Designing for security. Wiley.
• Simmons, B., Bittinger, K., & Froelich, E. (1997). Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) information security analysis. U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Tricco, A. C., et al. (2018). PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
• Tulaboev, A., Li, M., & Khushvaktova, K. (2026). Digital twins and AI-driven cybersecurity for intelligent transportation networks. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Future Networks and Distributed Systems (pp. 469–473). ACM.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. (2021). UN Regulation No. 155: Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regards to cyber security and cyber security management system. UNECE.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. (2021). UN Regulation No. 156: Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regards to software update and software update management system. UNECE.
• Wang, F., Wang, X., & Ban, X. (2024). Data poisoning attacks in intelligent transportation systems: A survey. Transportation Research Part C, 166, Article 104750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2024.104750
