Introduction
Transport ecosystems rely on long-lived vehicles and infrastructure, distributed trust, software updates and machine-to-machine communications. QSD studies how crypto-agility and PQC can be integrated across V2X, rail and autonomous systems while preserving safety, interoperability and lifecycle support.
2026 Research Context
Transport systems combine connected infrastructure, embedded devices, long certification cycles and safety-sensitive change windows. The CRA implementation timeline adds further pressure on product cybersecurity and vulnerability handling, with reporting obligations applying from September 2026. For PQC research, this strengthens the case for crypto-agility in vehicle, rail and transport-control architectures before platforms are locked into another long lifecycle. Relevant questions include V2X trust, code signing, device identity, secure updates, backend PKI and migration strategies that can coexist with legacy fleets.
Research Focus
- V2X credential and message-security transition
- Rail signalling and communications trust dependencies
- Secure software / firmware update chains
- Fleet and infrastructure certificate lifecycle management
- Supplier ecosystem and long-lifecycle migration planning
Expected Research Outputs
- Transport trust models
- PQC migration scenarios
- Lifecycle and supplier playbooks
- Safety-aware transition controls
- Q-TR transport readiness model
Standards & Sector Context
NIS2 context · automotive/rail security standards as applicable · NIST PQC standards
Collaboration Model
QSD welcomes collaboration with transport operators, automotive and rail suppliers, mobility platforms, infrastructure providers and safety/security research groups. Joint studies can centre on V2X trust, rail communications, software-update chains, fleet PKI and migration patterns that respect long product and infrastructure lifecycles.