Connecting and Protecting Canada’s Roadways As governments and industry pave the way towards fully autonomous vehicles and intelligent transportation systems, one of Carleton’s leading researchers looks to put security in the driver’s seat before we take our hands off the wheel. On October 12, 2017, longtime professor in Carleton’s School of Information Technology, Richard Yu, was awarded $974,000 from the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP) to enhance the cyber security of autonomous and connected vehicles in Canada over the next three years. Led by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada, CSSP aims to strengthen Canada’s ability to anticipate, prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from events such as natural disasters, serious accidents, crime and terrorism by uniting science and technology with policy, operations and intelligence. “As vehicles become more connected, they face a broader range of vulnerabilities,” said Yu. “This funding from the CSSP builds on the strengths of my research in wireless security and will enable us to strategically improve the infrastructure behind connected and autonomous vehicles.” Also cross-appointed to Carleton’s Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Yu’s specialty in 5G wireless research includes the development of diverse networks, which are essential to powering communication between autonomous vehicles. He’s also an advocate of the long-term benefits of adopting intelligent transportation – a position that’s shared by many, including Canada’s Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau. “Connected and automated vehicles have the potential to improve road safety, reduce congestion, protect the environment and support economic opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses,” said Garneau in a press release announcing Yu’s research funding. “That is why our government is supporting projects such as this to 4 carleton.ca/engineering-design