Master'sRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation Applications open

Master’s in Vehicle Cybersecurity Engineering and OTA Updates

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in vehicle cybersecurity and OTA update engineering, structured in 12 modules covering the connected vehicle attack surface, E/E architecture and networks, ISO/SAE 21434, TARA, technical security controls, OTA updates, UNECE R155 and R156, backend security, cybersecurity testing, monitoring and response, and charging and V2X threats, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h

ModeOnline

LanguageEnglish

Start datesSet by the faculty

AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor

Master’s in Vehicle Cybersecurity Engineering and OTA Updates — studying from Australia

Regulation, safety and reliability engineering are essential across Australian industries, particularly in transport, energy, defence and mining. RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety) practices support asset integrity and regulatory compliance. Vehicle and product homologation is governed by national standards and the Infrastructure department, while work health and safety laws are harmonised across most jurisdictions. Engineers work on safety cases, certification, failure analysis and compliance documentation. Employers include regulators, certification bodies, asset owners and consultancies.

Fees for Australia: A$15,800 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Australia

Standards Australia
Safe Work Australia
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
National Transport Commission (NTC)

Typical roles

Safety Engineer
RAMS Engineer
Homologation Engineer
Compliance Engineer

Questions from Australia

Does SEIUM's qualification satisfy Australian regulatory or homologation requirements?

No. SEIUM qualifications are private and are not official state degrees or accredited by national bodies. Homologation and safety regulation in Australia, such as vehicle standards administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, set their own requirements. Confirm with the relevant authority which competencies apply.

Which Australian employers and bodies might value this training in RAMS and regulation?

Consultancies, infrastructure and rail operators, regulators' contractors, and industrial safety teams in Australia may hire people with RAMS and compliance skills. Whether they value a private qualification depends on each employer. Demonstrated competence and project experience usually carry significant weight.

Is the course manageable alongside work, and how is payment handled?

The programmes are online, taught in English, and include an assigned technical tutor, so you can study from Australia around your job. Fees are payable in instalments, and employers may sponsor you. Confirm the programme length and the time you can realistically commit each week.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

Identify the attack surface of the connected vehicle.

Understand vehicle electronic architectures and networks.

Apply ISO/SAE 21434 across the product life cycle.

Carry out TARA of components and systems.

Design technical cybersecurity controls.

Implement secure OTA updates.

Prepare evidence for UNECE Regulations R155 and R156.

Profile

Who it's for

Automotive cybersecurity engineers at manufacturers and suppliers.
Vehicle threat analysts.
Automotive penetration testers.
E/E security architects.
OTA update specialists.
Vehicle SOC analysts.
Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive industry.

Standards & tools

What you'll work with

ISO/SAE 21434:2021 (road vehicle cybersecurity engineering)
UNECE Regulation No. 155 (cybersecurity and cybersecurity management system)
UNECE Regulation No. 156 (software updates and software update management system)
ISO 24089:2023 (road vehicle software update engineering)
ISO 15118-20 (vehicle-to-grid communication interface)
AUTOSAR SecOC (secure onboard communication specification)
Regulation (EU) 2018/858 (vehicle type approval)
Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act)
Vector CANoe
Wireshark
SavvyCAN
Ghidra
Scapy

Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

1.1Evolution of automotive electronics
1.2Control units and in-vehicle networks
1.3External interfaces: telematics, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
1.4Infotainment and applications
1.5Manufacturer cloud services
1.6Electric vehicle charging as an attack vector
1.7Published attacks on vehicles
1.8Attacker motivations
1.9Impact on physical safety
1.10Case study: analysis of a published remote attack

2.1CAN and CAN FD bus
2.2LIN, FlexRay and MOST
2.3High-speed automotive Ethernet
2.4Central communication gateways
2.5Zonal vehicle architectures
2.6Diagnostics with the UDS protocol
2.7Software-defined vehicle
2.8AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive
2.9Hypervisors in automotive
2.10Lab: CAN traffic analysis with open-source tools

3.1Structure of the standard
3.2Organisational cybersecurity management
3.3Cybersecurity concept
3.4Goals and requirements
3.5Verification and validation
3.6Production and post-production
3.7End of support
3.8Relationship with ISO 26262
3.9Evidence of compliance
3.10Practical exercise: defining the cybersecurity goals of an item

4.1Asset identification
4.2Damage scenarios
4.3Threat scenarios
4.4Attack paths
4.5Attack feasibility
4.6Risk determination
4.7Risk treatment
4.8TARA tools
4.9Review and maintenance
4.10Lab: TARA of a telematics unit

5.1Hardware security modules
5.2ECU secure boot
5.3Secure onboard communication (SecOC)
5.4Encryption and key management
5.5Gateway firewalls
5.6In-vehicle intrusion detection
5.7Diagnostic authentication
5.8Ethernet security
5.9Domain isolation
5.10Practical exercise: configuring SecOC on a simulated CAN network

6.1Remote update architecture
6.2Package signing and verification
6.3A/B updates and rollback
6.4Uptane and its security model
6.5Differential software updates
6.6Dependency management
6.7Channel security
6.8Map and data updates
6.9Update failures
6.10Lab: secure update flow with Uptane

7.1R155 cybersecurity regulation
7.2Cybersecurity management system (CSMS)
7.3R156 software update regulation
7.4Software update management system (SUMS)
7.5RXSWIN software identifier
7.6Vehicle type approval
7.7Monitoring obligations
7.8Application in the EU
7.9Interpretation documents
7.10Case study: evidence list for R155 type approval

8.1Connected service platforms
8.2Vehicle APIs
8.3Owner mobile applications
8.4Identity management
8.5Cloud security
8.6Public key infrastructure
8.7Fleet management
8.8Vehicle data and privacy
8.9Software supply chain security
8.10Workshop: threat modelling of a connected services API

9.1Vehicle penetration testing
9.2Protocol fuzzing
9.3Hardware testing
9.4Firmware analysis
9.5Wireless interface testing
9.6Backend testing
9.7HIL test benches
9.8Bug bounty programmes
9.9Test reporting
9.10Practical exercise: fuzzing a UDS service on a bench

10.1Vehicle security operations centres
10.2Collection of security events
10.3Fleet anomaly detection
10.4Automotive threat intelligence
10.5Auto-ISAC and information sharing
10.6Incident response
10.7Vulnerability management
10.8Coordinated vulnerability disclosure
10.9Notification to authorities
10.10Case study: a vulnerability in a fleet ECU

11.1Security of ISO 15118 and Plug & Charge
11.2OCPP and charger risks
11.3V2X security and PKI
11.4Digital keys on mobile phones
11.5Security of ADAS
11.6Sensor attacks
11.7Security of on-board AI
11.8Commercial vehicles and fleets
11.9Threat trends
11.10Practical exercise: threat analysis of Plug & Charge

12.1Item definition
12.2TARA of the item
12.3Goals and requirements
12.4Control design
12.5Update strategy
12.6Test plan
12.7Regulatory evidence for type approval
12.8Conclusions and future work
12.9Thesis report
12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel

Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the programme can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Vector CANoe, Wireshark, SavvyCAN, Ghidra and Scapy, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for component TARA, penetration testing on ECU benches and simulation of OTA update flows. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: ISO/SAE 21434:2021 (road vehicle cybersecurity engineering), UNECE Regulation No. 155 (cybersecurity and CSMS), UNECE Regulation No. 156 (software updates and SUMS), ISO 24089:2023 (software update engineering), ISO 15118-20, AUTOSAR SecOC (specification), Regulation (EU) 2018/858, Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act).

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.

Standards-based learning:guided reading of ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE R155 and R156, and ISO 24089 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.

Industry software:Vector CANoe, Wireshark, SavvyCAN, Ghidra and Scapy, in free, academic or evaluation versions.

Master's Thesis with defence:a complete cybersecurity case for a vehicle item, from TARA and control design to update strategy, test plan and type-approval evidence, defended before a panel.

Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.

Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Network analysis

Analyse CAN traffic and map the attack surface of the chosen item.

TARA of the item

Carry out a full TARA of a telematics unit and derive cybersecurity goals.

Security controls

Design the controls, including SecOC on a simulated CAN network and a secure Uptane update flow.

Cybersecurity testing

Fuzz a UDS service on a bench and document the test results.

Master's Thesis

A complete cybersecurity case with R155/R156 type-approval evidence, defended before a panel.

Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Automotive cybersecurity engineerVehicle threat analystAutomotive penetration testerE/E security architectOTA update specialistVehicle SOC analyst

Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Vector CANoe, Wireshark, SavvyCAN, Ghidra and Scapy, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a suitable computer, an internet connection and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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