Expert calls for comprehensive cybersecurity policies to protect embedded systems

Omolade Ikumapayi, a Nigerian cybersecurity scholar, has advised governments and policymakers to urgently prioritize the security of embedded systems in national infrastructure, warning that neglect in this area could expose countries to devastating cyberattacks on transportation, energy, and healthcare systems.

Ikumapayi, said that embedded systems – small computing units that drive critical operations in vehicles, hospitals, and power plants have become central to modern life yet remain under protected.
“Cars, airplanes, hospitals, and even energy grids now rely on embedded networks to function,” she said.

“If these systems are not protected with strong authentication and schedulability frameworks, we risk not only data breaches but catastrophic failures that can endanger human lives. Governments must treat embedded systems security as a matter of urgent national policy.”

Ikumapayi is the lead designer of Controller Area Network Authentication, Schedulability, and Timing Analysis,
(CANASTA), a pioneering open-source tool that has been described internationally as a “benchmark framework” for securing automotive communication systems.

The tool allows researchers and manufacturers to simultaneously test security and real-time performance in protocols like CAN, CAN-FD, and CAN-XL, ensuring vehicles and industrial systems remain both safe and secure.

Since its release, CANASTA has been adopted by research teams across the globe, cited in scholarly journals, and integrated into industrial testbeds for connected and autonomous vehicles. Industry experts credit the framework with significantly reducing evaluation time for cybersecurity protocols in complex automotive systems.

Her rising influence has also placed her in advisory discussions with both government regulators and private industry leaders.

She has consistently stressed that national security is tied to the resilience of embedded systems, especially as countries move toward smart mobility.

According to her, only comprehensive cybersecurity policies will be effective: “We can no longer afford to treat embedded systems as secondary. They are the backbone of modern life, and their protection must be at the center of national cybersecurity strategies.”

Experts say Ikumapayi’s work reflects Africa’s growing influence in global science and technology and underscores the role Nigerian researchers continue to play in solving critical international challenges.