The FBI has warned the US administration that arrival of autonomous vehicles could change the face of crime fighting and pose of threat to citizens.
High speed car chases and vehicles being deployed by terrorists as lethal weapons are just two of the crime fighting concerns for US spooks. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the intelligence community in Europe has similar concerns.
With hackers deploying worms and trojans to tap into PCs and smart devices, the corporate fleet community could soon become a target as connected fleets come on stream. Is it too far fetched to think that some megalomaniac or other could try to extort millions by immobilising a fleet of corporate vehicles?
Thankfully, the threat is not lost on automakers. They know they’ll not just have to jump somersault through regulatory hoops to get autonomous vehicles licenced, but also convince consumers and fleet owners that the technology is safe and secure.
At this month’s Battelle CyberAuto Challenge, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers announced a series of new initiatives to enhance the industry’s efforts to safeguard vehicle computer systems to meet these very challenges.
As part of this the alliance’s 12 automaker members have agreed to further collaboration with businesses, government and academia in order to stay ahead of hackers and make our connected future possible.
Its time for teamwork to make our connected future a reality.
