J3061

J3061, also known as the SAE J3061 Guide for Information Security in Automotive Systems, is a guide published by SAE International for the automotive industry. It provides a framework for integrating cybersecurity into the development and lifecycle of road vehicles. The document presents a risk-based approach to cybersecurity engineering, including threat modeling, risk assessment, secure design, verification, and ongoing operation.

Scope and concept: It addresses electronic and software architecture in modern vehicles, connectivity, and services, focusing on identifying and mitigating cyber threats across the vehicle’s lifecycle. The guide emphasizes defense in depth, secure coding practices, secure software updates, supply chain security, and vulnerability management.

Process model: J3061 describes a lifecycle process with phases such as concept development, threat analysis and risk assessment, security design, implementation and testing, system integration and verification, deployment and operation, and decommissioning or end-of-life. It promotes documentation, traceability, and iterative risk assessment as systems evolve.

Relation to other standards: It is a non-normative guide that influenced later automotive cybersecurity standards, notably ISO/SAE 21434, and aligns with frameworks under UNECE WP.29 for vehicle cybersecurity.

Impact and use: Automotive OEMs, suppliers, and cybersecurity teams have used J3061 to establish governance, processes, and artifacts for cybersecurity risk management in product development and field operation.

Limitations: As a guide rather than a prescriptive standard, it requires adaptation to organizational context and has been largely superseded in practice by ISO/SAE 21434, though it remains a reference point in the history of automotive cybersecurity.