Line Between Cybersecurity And Auto Safety Getting Blurry

Earlier this summer, two men revealed that they were able to hack into a Jeep Charokee's onboard computer and control vital systems remotely. In a test run, the hackers not only operated things like the car's horn and windshield wipers, but they were also able to use the car's brakes and disrupt the engine from a laptop miles away. Previous attempts to hack into cars' computers were only successful from inside the vehicle, and even then the controls were limited. But this hacking effort has raised new questions about whether or not cybersecurity should factor into a car's safety rating.

That is the question raised by consumers, lawmakers and regulators. In a new age of connected cars, how far should automakers go to protect drivers from a cyberattack. Things like faulty ignition switches and problematic airbags have forced millions of recalls over the past year as safety regulators cracked down on carmakers in order to protect the public. However, now they must

whether or not vulnerability to a hacking attack can also be considered a safety defect.

Whether or not cars' onboard computers are subjected to cybersecurity regulations, the hacking issue is a major concern for automakers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee incident was enough to give consumers reason to question the reliability of a connected car, something that car manufacturers will need to address. In order to make connected cars safer, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers have

a new system designed to help detect and combat cyberthreats. The industry is working to establish an Information Sharing and Analysis Center in which industry participants can swap knowledge regarding new threats and share best practices for preventing new attacks.