Connected cars cause cyber security worries

The automotive sector has been asked by the US Department of Transportation to share data and work closely with researchers in a bid to combat potential hacks attacks on motor vehicles.

IT security is being viewed as a higher priority at the very top, with car firms being encouraged by the government to look closely at flaws discovered by cyber researchers.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a set of 2016 safety principles to encourage car manufacturers to share data on  cyber security flaws.

The new principles will be helped by a data analysis and sharing hub, which will enable car manufacturers to collaborate on establishing a series of practices designed to combat cyber threats to connected vehicles. The practices will bid to develop common methods of tackling generic vulnerabilities and threats in a vehicle’s IT system.

The NHTSA wants to encourage increased involvement by the automotive industry and government when it comes to cyber security for vehicles. It says:

“Government and industry working together, consistent with existing law, should encourage the adoption of safety technologies and advocate public investment in physical and digital infrastructure.

“As vehicle safety technologies increasingly assist in the driving environment, trust in these technologies becomes paramount.”

Companies in all sectors need more encouragement when it comes to cyber security, and that goes for the UK every bit as much as it does for the US. Businesses up and down the country would be wise to revisit their IT security recruitment policy and ask themselves if the steps they are taken are sufficient.