Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) are connected transport technologies that let vehicles, roadside units, traffic lights, and control centers exchange data in near real time. The goal is to improve safety, traffic flow, and coordination by sharing messages such as hazard alerts, speed advisories, and road conditions.
In cyber security, C-ITS matters because those messages influence real-world driving and infrastructure decisions. If an attacker forges, alters, delays, or replays data, the system may broadcast false warnings, hide hazards, or disrupt traffic management. Defenders therefore focus on device identity, message authentication, secure communications, time synchronization, and resilient fallback modes when connectivity is unreliable. In smart-road environments, C-ITS is a key trust boundary: it links operational technology, vehicles, and external networks, so interoperability must be matched with strong assurance.