SK On, First Domestic Battery Company to Receive Cybersecurity Management System Certification

If Vehicle Cybersecurity Management System Is Not Certified
Vehicle Sales in Major Countries Prohibited from July Next Year

SK On has become the first Korean battery company to obtain the Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) certification. From July next year, this certification will be mandatory to sell vehicles in major countries.

On the 29th, SK On announced that it received the CSMS certification for its Battery Management System (BMS) from the global testing and certification organization TUV Rheinland.

The CSMS certification is issued to companies that can recognize cyber security risks early in vehicle software and electrical/electronic components and take appropriate measures. To obtain this certification, companies must pass rigorous verification, including in-depth interviews covering organizational response systems to production line management systems. TUV Rheinland is a globally respected certification body with a history spanning over 150 years.

The importance of vehicle software is increasing. As the development of connected cars integrating IT technology becomes more active, the everyday scene of drivers watching movies or playing games inside cars driving in autonomous mode is approaching. Accordingly, the level of cyber security is also becoming stronger.

Through this certification, SK On has laid an early foundation to expand its entry into the global market. This is because having the Cyber Security Management System certification is required to sell vehicles in major countries worldwide, including the United States and Europe.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) enacted the vehicle cyber security regulation ‘UNR155’ in 2021. Accordingly, from July 2022, new vehicles must have cyber security management system certification to be sold in UNECE member countries. From July 2024, the regulation will expand to cover all vehicle models. Since UNECE includes 56 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia, the UNR155 regulation is effectively a global standard. In practice, global automakers require parts manufacturers, such as those producing BMS, to have products equipped with cyber security management systems based on this regulation.

To respond proactively, SK On requested TUV Rheinland to conduct CSMS (ISO/SAE 21434, automotive cyber security standard) certification testing for its BMS last year and successfully passed the review process over about a year to obtain the certification. SK On is also independently working on improving BMS quality and strengthening cyber security capabilities. Since 2021, it has established cyber security policies, set up related organizations and development processes, and is developing relevant technologies.

With this CSMS certification, SK On has achieved a triple crown in BMS quality certification. SK On had already obtained the ‘A-SPICE Level 2 (CL2)’ certification, which evaluates the quality and capability of automotive software development processes, and the international automotive functional safety standard ‘ISO26262 FSM (Functional Safety Management)’ certification. Lee Ji-seok, head of system development at SK On, said, “Through this certification, SK On has once again proven its BMS development capabilities and quality,” adding, “It is another powerful weapon for strengthening order competitiveness and pioneering the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.