As vehicles become increasingly intelligent and connected, motor controllers are no longer standalone components responsible only for driving motors.
CAN communication, diagnostic interfaces, and communication with upper-level control systems are enabling more data and control commands to be exchanged between different vehicle modules. However, as connectivity increases, another critical question becomes increasingly important:
How can controllers ensure cybersecurity?
Recently, DALA Motion organized specialized cybersecurity training on communication protocols for its Sales, Software, and Field Application Engineering (FAE) teams.
Focusing on cybersecurity requirements under new EU regulations, the training systematically covered regulatory developments, risk identification, communication protocol upgrades, customer delivery, and ongoing security services.
DALA Motion Special Training on Communication Protocol Cybersecurity
01 / WHY NOW
Why Start Upgrading Cybersecurity Now?
The training focused on the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
As European product safety regulations continue to evolve, cybersecurity is becoming a fundamental consideration for products entering the European market.
The EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 will become fully applicable on January 20, 2027. It explicitly addresses the protection of critical software and data against corruption, as well as hazards that may arise from malicious actions by third parties, incorporating these considerations into machinery and control system safety requirements.
Relevant provisions in the official EUR-Lex text include:
- Annex III, Section 1.1.9: Protection against corruption.
- Annex III, Section 1.2.1: Safety and reliability of control systems.
For manufacturers planning to enter the European market with new energy off-highway vehicles, this raises several important questions about future compliance requirements.
FIVE KEY QUESTIONS
- Does the system support identity authentication?
- Can critical data be protected against unauthorized modification?
- Do different operators have clearly defined access permissions?
- Can abnormal events and operations be traced?
- Is there a continuous mechanism for addressing vulnerabilities and providing security updates?
Motor controllers are particularly important because they directly participate in vehicle propulsion and critical motion control. Unauthorized access, data tampering, privilege escalation, or high-frequency invalid communication messages may potentially affect vehicle safety functions.
TYPICAL CYBERSECURITY RISKS
Identity Spoofing / Data Tampering / Information Leakage
Denial of Service / Privilege Escalation / Repudiation
In response to evolving cybersecurity requirements, and taking into account vehicle transportation lead times and product certification cycles, DALA Motion has decided to advance its cybersecurity development and certification preparation to better support customers' compliant entry into overseas markets.
02 / WHAT CHANGED
What Has Actually Changed After the Upgrade?
COMMUNICATION SECURITY
Cybersecurity Is More Than Simply Adding a Password.
Based on real-world controller applications, DALA Motion is systematically strengthening its cybersecurity framework across multiple dimensions, including identity authentication, access control, communication integrity, traffic management, data protection, operation auditing, and permission management.
01 | Identity Authentication
Verify who is accessing the system.
02 | Access Control
Define the permitted operations for each access level.
03 | Traffic Control
Restrict and protect against abnormal high-frequency communication.
04 | Data Integrity Protection
Detect whether critical data has been modified or retransmitted.
05 | Operation Logging
Record critical parameter changes and firmware-related operations.
06 | Security Updates
Support both OTA and local update channels.
DALA Motion Controller Cybersecurity Upgrades
For example, when performing diagnostics or adjusting parameters, the system first verifies who is accessing it. For different control commands, it checks whether the user has the corresponding permissions. For critical data, it verifies whether information has been modified or retransmitted during communication. Abnormal high-frequency communication is also subject to appropriate restrictions and protection.
DALA Motion determines appropriate cybersecurity protection boundaries according to the level of network exposure and the actual operating environment of each controller.
BEFORE
Previously, our primary focus was on:
Convenient controller diagnostics and commissioning.
NOW
We must also address:
- Who is authorized to communicate with the controller?
- What operations are they permitted to perform?
- Can the transmitted data be trusted?
- What operations have been performed?
- What should happen when a security issue occurs?
This represents an important milestone in DALA Motion's transition from convenient communication to trusted communication.
03 / CUSTOMER VALUE
From European Market Access to Long-Term Security Assurance
For vehicle manufacturers, regulatory upgrades rarely affect just one individual component.
A vehicle intended for the European market requires the vehicle manufacturer, controller supplier, and other key component suppliers to work together to establish a comprehensive safety and cybersecurity framework.
One of the key objectives of DALA Motion's communication security upgrade is to implement the cybersecurity capabilities required at the controller level in advance.
Beyond product delivery, DALA Motion plans to provide supporting compliance documentation, security vulnerability response, firmware security updates, and dedicated channels for reporting security issues.
For customers, choosing a DALA Motion controller will mean receiving more than a hardware component. It will also provide access to a comprehensive communication cybersecurity solution.
DALA MOTION CONTROLLER-SIDE CAPABILITIES
- Communication protection capabilities aligned with the SRSL-1 security level.
- Access permission management and operation logging for critical parameters and firmware.
- Compliance documentation, security incident response, and vulnerability reporting channels.
- Firmware security update services through both OTA and local update channels.
DALA Motion Controller Cybersecurity Capabilities and Ongoing Services
From European market access to long-term security assurance, DALA Motion aims to support vehicle manufacturers throughout market entry, safety assessment, and subsequent maintenance.
Once products enter long-term operation, customers can also receive ongoing security updates, vulnerability response, and technical support for security-related issues.
Looking ahead, DALA Motion will continue advancing cybersecurity capabilities related to the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and adapting its products accordingly, further improving its full-lifecycle security framework covering product design, vulnerability management, security updates, and incident response.
For customers, choosing a DALA Motion controller in the future will mean more than selecting hardware for motor drive and control. It will also mean gaining long-term service capabilities built around communication security, continuous updates, and security incident response.
04 / ONE STEP AHEAD
Moving One Step Ahead Helps Our Customers Enter Global Markets with Greater Confidence
This training marks an important milestone in DALA Motion's cybersecurity development.
By bringing together Sales, Software, and FAE teams, we aim to ensure that regulatory requirements are understood beyond the R&D department and consistently integrated into customer applications, product solutions, technical development, and project delivery.
For the new energy off-highway vehicle industry, future competition will not be limited to power, efficiency, reliability, and cost.
Security, regulatory compliance, and ongoing service capabilities will increasingly become essential factors in entering international markets.
DALA Motion's objective is to integrate these capabilities into our products as early as possible.
DALA MOTION
From a single controller
to a more complete and trusted
electric control solution.
Continuously delivering safe and reliable products and services is the ultimate goal of DALA Motion's cybersecurity upgrades.
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