Patent ID: 8484752

Claim:
A method for verifying authenticity of program code for an electronic control unit, comprising: receiving the program code for the electronic control unit; accessing metadata embedded in the program code, the metadata identifying a source of the program code, an identification of an individual that has modified the program code, and an indication of when the program code was modified; communicating via a network with a server to determine a status of the program code after receiving the program code and before installation of the program code on the electronic control unit; verifying the authenticity of the program code based on the source of the program code and the status; when the authenticity of the program code is verified, permitting installation of the program code on the electronic control unit; and when the authenticity of the program code is not verified, preventing installation of the program code on the electronic control unit, wherein the server verifies the authenticity of the program code and determines the status of the program code.