On the Feasibility of Carrying Out Live Real-Time Forensics for Modern Intelligent Vehicles

Modern vehicular systems exhibit a number of networked electronic components ranging from sensors and actuators to dedicated vehicular subsystems. These components/systems, and the fact that they are interconnected, raise questions as to whether they are suitable for digital forensic investigations. We found that this is indeed the case especially when the data produced by such components are properly obtained and fused (such as fusing location with audio/video data). In this paper we therefore investigate the relevant advanced automotive electronic components and their respective network configurations and functions with particular emphasis on the suitability for live (real time) forensic investigations and surveillance based on augmented software and/or hardware configurations related to passenger behaviour analysis. To this end, we describe subsystems from which sensor data can be obtained directly or with suitable modifications; we also discuss different automotive network and bus structures, and then proceed by describing several scenarios for the application of such behavioural analysis.