Properties of Vehicle Network Privacy

ABSTRACT Contemporary automobiles utilize a range of safety devices, such as seatbelts and airbags, to reduce injuries in accidents. Future vehicles, especially autonomous cars, will also utilize computer networks to avoid accidents. These vehicular ad hoc networks, VANETs, may one day save thousands of lives and billions of dollars, reduce fuel consumption and pollution, and expand ubiquitous connectivity and mobile application functionality to the world's roadways. One problem: privacy. VANETs may expose motorists to surveillance by eavesdroppers, from casual stalkers to Big Brother. The problem has perplexed researchers for decades, perhaps partly because the desired properties of vehicle network privacy have not been sufficiently defined. The purpose of this paper is to provide a taxonomy to classify privacy properties in vehicular contexts.