Electronic control unit network security

A method of controlling access to a vehicle network that includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) communicating over the network, comprising the steps of:

• operating a network of ECUs that include at least first and second ECUs installed in the vehicle and in communication with each other over the network, wherein the first ECU comprises an external access point that enables access to the network via the first ECU by devices external to the network;
• establishing communication between the first ECU and an external device;
• providing the external device with limited privilege access to the network via the first ECU, wherein the step of providing limited privilege access comprises one or both of:
• (i) sending digital instructions from the first ECU to the second ECU based on a communication received at the first ECU from the external device;
• and
• (ii) transmitting from the vehicle via the first ECU digital data that is sent from the second ECU to the first ECU;
• detecting unauthorized escalated privilege access of the first ECU;
• and
• in response to the detection, selectively restricting use of the first ECU as the external access point at least partially, thereby preventing external devices from using the first ECU for the limited privilege access to the network;
• wherein the step of providing limited privilege access to the network further comprises providing access to the network under control of an operating system that limits what actions may be initiated by the external device to a subset of all of the actions capable of being carried out using the operating system;
• and
• wherein the step of detecting unauthorized escalated privilege access comprises detecting occurrence of an action at the first ECU that is not within the subset of actions.