Cloud Security Architecture for the Automotive Industry: A Framework for Secure Multi-Cloud Deployment

Abstract

This paper examines the automotive industry since it fundamentally transforms toward Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) and exponentially increases the reliance on cloud and multi-cloud infrastructures. The attack surface expands in a dramatic way because of a shift to this model. Today cyber risks target centralized cloud backends managing entire fleets not individual vehicles. A comprehensive security architecture should be developed proactively and without delay, as potential threats may escalate, and stringent regulatory frameworks such as UNECE R155 and ISO/SAE 21434 are anticipated to come into effect. In this paper, the Automotive Multi-Cloud Security Framework (AMCSF), which is a conceptual cloud security architecture model for the automotive industry, is proposed based on a systematic literature review as well as comparative analysis of industry practices. ISO/SAE 21434 describes vehicle cybersecurity lifecycle processes the five-layer model would integrate. It works also with modern cloud-oriented technologies like Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP). The study primarily concludes that risk can be effectively managed in modern automotive ecosystems only if protections are applied synergistically and include both the vehicle itself and its cloud infrastructure. This paper will be helpful to cybersecurity and cloud solution engineers and architects in automotive (OEM, Tier-1/Tier-2), vSOC/DevSecOps teams, cybersecurity and compliance management specialists (CSMS/UNECE R155, ISO/SAE 21434), as well as consultants and executives responsible for designing and operating secure multi-cloud backends.