UWindsor professor studying how hackers could target modern vehicles

The University of Windsor is studying how to stop hackers from attacking the computer technology inside cars.

As modern vehicles become more connected through sensors, wireless systems and onboard software, local researchers are examining how those technologies could be exploited.

At the University of Windsor, electrical and computer engineering professor Mitra Mirhassani is leading research into potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in connected and autonomous vehicles.

“Almost everywhere in these modern vehicles can be considered a weak point or a gateway for attacks,” Mirhassani said.

Mirhassani is the co-founder and co-director of the SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence.

As the only centre of its kind in Canada dedicated to end-to-end automotive cybersecurity, researchers study how the hardware and software systems inside vehicles could be targeted or manipulated.

Her work examines how attacks could disrupt the sensors and technologies modern vehicles rely on — including radar systems and features like cruise control.

Cyberattacks targeting vehicles can take many forms, from attempts to steal cars to efforts aimed at damaging the reputation of a particular automaker, she said.

“These type of attacks give rise to some of the car thefts that we’ve seen in Toronto over the last couple of years,” said Mirhassani.

Mirhassani added a major focus of the research community is developing new ways to defend vehicles against those threats.

Part of her latest project will allow researchers to test cybersecurity threats on real vehicles rather than relying only on simulations — something she says is uncommon in academic research.

“We are going to do testing on real cars, not just simulations,” Mirhassani said.

“So this way we can create reproducibility and repeatability for others.”

Mirhassani recently received the 2026 Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship, a national research honour supporting projects with the potential for significant impact.

She said the work highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity as vehicles become more technologically advanced.

“Automotive cybersecurity is a new research topic of its own,” she said.

“We still have a lot of things to discover and find out.”