The smarter cars are getting, the more exposed they are to the threats the technology world is struggling to deal with.
Self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and all their systems that require Internet access could easily become a target for cybercriminals across the world, and companies involved in the automotive industry know this very well.
After all, malicious actors have already proved that vehicle hijacking and data theft could be performed even remotely, so without massive investments in security, the progress made by the entire car industry in the self-driving car market comes with bigger and bigger risks.
This is why a total of 90 companies have decided to join a consortium that would allow all of them to work together not only to prevent cyberattacks but also to improve response times should any flaws be discovered in their software.
The biggest names in the partnership include leading carmakers like Toyota and Nissan, as well as large technology companies such as Microsoft and Trend Micro. Parts manufacturers like Denso and Panasonic have also joined the effort, according to local reports.
Specifically aimed at the Japanese market, the collaboration is supposed to help the involved companies find software flaws, patch them, and then release updates that would be available for all of them.
Furthermore, members of the consortium will discuss and analyze the hacking exploits discovered in other markets and possibly affecting other carmakers in an attempt to prevent their software from being targeted by cybercriminals.
The partnership comes with massive benefits in many regards, including as far as costs are concerned. By working together, the 90 companies can streamline not only patches and incident response but also reduce the costs of software security development.
The collaboration hasn’t yet been announced officially, but a public press release is likely to go live as soon as the next week with the full details of all participating companies and their long-term goals in terms of cybersecurity.
After all, malicious actors have already proved that vehicle hijacking and data theft could be performed even remotely, so without massive investments in security, the progress made by the entire car industry in the self-driving car market comes with bigger and bigger risks.
This is why a total of 90 companies have decided to join a consortium that would allow all of them to work together not only to prevent cyberattacks but also to improve response times should any flaws be discovered in their software.
The biggest names in the partnership include leading carmakers like Toyota and Nissan, as well as large technology companies such as Microsoft and Trend Micro. Parts manufacturers like Denso and Panasonic have also joined the effort, according to local reports.
Specifically aimed at the Japanese market, the collaboration is supposed to help the involved companies find software flaws, patch them, and then release updates that would be available for all of them.
Furthermore, members of the consortium will discuss and analyze the hacking exploits discovered in other markets and possibly affecting other carmakers in an attempt to prevent their software from being targeted by cybercriminals.
The partnership comes with massive benefits in many regards, including as far as costs are concerned. By working together, the 90 companies can streamline not only patches and incident response but also reduce the costs of software security development.
The collaboration hasn’t yet been announced officially, but a public press release is likely to go live as soon as the next week with the full details of all participating companies and their long-term goals in terms of cybersecurity.