US-headquartered safety science specialist UL, formerly known as Underwriters Laboratories, 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.
United Nations Regulation No. 155 (UN R155) covers cybersecurity and requires that connected vehicles have a certified cybersecurity management system (CSMS); United Nations Regulation No. 156 (UN R156) covers software updates management systems (SUMS) for connected vehicles. RDW approval 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 the UK.
The CSMS framework serves as a systematic risk-based approach defining organizational processes, responsibilities and governance to manage risk associated with vehicle cyber threats. The software update management framework defines systematic control and compliance with established guidelines to ensure that a software update does not impair 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 combine 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 in a safe and secure manner.”
UN R155 and UN R156 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.
“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,” added 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.”
