Interplay Between Security, Privacy and Trust in 6G-Enabled Intelligent Transportation Systems

Advancements in sixth-generation (6G) wireless technology are expected to transform the transportation sector by enabling faster, more reliable, and more intelligent mobility services. 6G-enabled Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) offer ultra-low-latency communication, massive connectivity, and advanced analytics that support safer, more efficient, and more sustainable mobility. Despite these benefits, 6G-ITS introduces significant security, privacy, and trust challenges that must be addressed to ensure safe deployment and sustained public confidence. This paper reviews the opportunities and challenges of 6G-ITS with a focus on security, privacy, and trust, including the dual role of quantum technologies that strengthen cryptographic mechanisms while introducing novel attack surfaces. The paper highlights the benefits of 6G for transportation, including improved communication performance, enhanced device interoperability, advanced data analytics, and increased automation across transportation management and communication systems. A taxonomy of attack models in 6G-ITS is provided, alongside a comparison of security threats in 5G-ITS and 6G-ITS and corresponding mitigation strategies. The findings highlight the need for a comprehensive, multi-layered security framework that spans physical infrastructure, network protocols, data management, application security, and trust mechanisms to ensure the integrity and resilience of future 6G transportation ecosystems.