CAN Bus Masterclass

Abstract

This talk explains how the CAN bus works in real vehicles and why its original design assumptions still matter today. It covers protocol fundamentals, timing behavior, and architectural implications, with a focus on understanding systems rather than demonstrating attacks.

The goal is to enable informed technical and security discussions around in-vehicle networks.

Audience & Level

This talk is intended for:

• IT security professionals
• Automotive engineers
• Embedded developers

It assumes basic familiarity with networking concepts, but no prior CAN bus experience is required.

Key Takeaways

After this talk, attendees should be able to:

• Explain how CAN arbitration works and why it is deterministic
• Understand how message IDs influence bus behavior
• Recognize common misconceptions about CAN collisions and timing
• Place CAN in the context of modern vehicle architectures
• Identify where security assumptions no longer hold

Related Workshop

This talk is expanded into a hands-on format in the CAN Bus Workshop, where participants analyze real traffic and tooling in practice.

About the Speaker

Thomas Fischer works at the intersection of automotive systems, embedded software, and IT security. He regularly speaks at international conferences and delivers hands-on workshops focused on understanding real-world vehicle architectures.

Contact

For speaking or workshop inquiries:

• web@tfitconsult.de