The ESTP Methodology, created by journalist Azucena Hernández—Founder and CEO of EUROCYBCAR, headquartered in the Álava Technology Park—provides an independent, objective assessment of whether a vehicle truly safeguards both the privacy and, most importantly, the lives of its occupants. The solution contributes directly to strengthening the overall cybersecurity of the mobility ecosystem.
The patent, titled “System for the Inspection, Evaluation and Diagnosis of Vehicle Cybersecurity Level” -ESTP Methodology-, has been granted by the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and remains valid until 2040.
Developed from the patent, ESTP Technology verifies whether European vehicles comply with the cybersecurity requirements of UNECE R155, the European regulation that has been mandatory since July 2024.
Links:
● Video “Azucena Hernández’s story”
● Patent
● Video press release
June 2025
Today’s vehicles are essentially high-speed computers -travelling at up to 120 km/h- capable of generating, receiving, storing and transmitting vast quantities of data. Without robust protection, these systems can be exploited by cyber-criminals, leading to breaches of personal information, espionage, vehicle theft, manipulation of critical systems and, most importantly, threats to the safety of passengers..
Recognising this risk, in 2019 Azucena Hernández, Founder and CEO of EUROCYBCAR -with extensive experience in both the automotive and cybersecurity sectors- sketched the first outline of the ESTP Methodology on a napkin. At that time she did not realise she had created a truly innovative solution. Five years later, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office confirmed its uniqueness by granting her the patent for the “System for the Inspection, Evaluation and Diagnosis of the Cybersecurity Level of a Vehicle”.
The patent encompasses the ESTP Methodology –EUROCYBCAR Standard Test Protocol-, which determines -“for real”- a vehicle’s level of cybersecurity: how effectively it protects data, human life and the vehicle’s integrity. It also establishes the foundation for a CyberRating, enabling objective comparisons of cybersecurity performance across different vehicle models so users can identify the safest option.
Finally, after a process initiated on November 8, 2019, on May 20, 2025, the United States Patent Office granted EUROCYBCAR the patent US-12309596-B2, valid for 20 years from the date of application, until October 2040.
For the purposes of the patent, the term “vehicle” includes any manned or unmanned platform designed to transport people and/or goods: bicycles, scooters, mopeds, cars, motorcycles, trucks, tractors, buses, trains, trams, drones, aircraft, patrol boats, ships and more.
Azucena Hernández: A pioneer in the automotive sector
This is not the first time Madrid-born, Álava-adopted Azucena Hernández has broken new ground in the industry. In 1998 she became the world’s first woman to edit a motoring magazine, heading “El Mundo del Automóvil”. In 2013, thanks to a futuristic vision of vehicles, as editor of “Autofácil”, she published a report entitled “A hacker could kill you while driving”, highlighting the need for cyber-secure vehicles long before the topic gained traction in Europe.
In 2019 she launched “HackerCar”, the world’s first digital outlet focused on automotive cybersecurity, and created the first specialised training courses on cybersecurity for vehicles and fleets. Her ESTP Technology enabled EUROCYBCAR and AENOR to issue, in May 2022, the world’s first “Vehicle Cybersecurity Certificate”. Furthermore, thanks in part to her advocacy, the UNECE extended regulation R155 to cover motorcycles, scooters and e-bikes in June 2024
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT EUROCYBCAR
EUROCYBCAR is a technology company based in Vitoria-Gasteiz that uses ESTP Technology—an innovative modular platform, unique in the world and internationally patented—that allows for the identification, evaluation, and certification of risks affecting the cybersecurity of vehicles, Fleet Management Systems, Mobility Applications and Infrastructures, and Cybersecurity Management Systems (CSMS), according to UNECE/R155 and ISO 21434, applying its own ESTP Methodology -EUROCYBCAR Standard Test Protocol-.
It also develops training activities related to cybersecurity assessment methodologies, current regulations, and other areas of cybersecurity applied to the automotive industry and the mobility ecosystem. EUROCYBCAR’s goal is to work toward cybersecurity mobility..
More information:
Communications department
comunicacion@eurocybcar.com
Teléfonos: +34 678 400 586 / +34 619 291 892
Link to download the press release in Word.
Link to download the press release in PDF.
Link to download the high resolution imagen of the press release (author: Ángel López de Luzuriaga / Invest in Álava)
Link to download the patent cover image
