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Thatcham joins cyber security panel
Date: 28 October 2015 | Author: Daniel Puddicombe
Research centre Thatcham has joined the Cyber Security Consortium for Connected Vehicles to help combat future car crimes.
According to Government statistics, cyber crime is thought to cost the economy £27bn a year.
Not-for-profit charity Thatcham is currently responsible for evaluating security levels on all new models destined for the UK, giving each an insurance rating, and providing consumer advice on vehicle security standards.
Thatcham said it will provide its knowledge to help develop new standards to combat cyber security threats, and help establish a coordinated approach to future security systems with vehicle makers and other members of the cyber security coalition - which includes Thales eSecurity, Plextek Consulting, Intercede, Qonex and Mira.
According to the security experts, connected vehicle technology provides the basis for many emerging driver assistance and comfort systems yet it's this convergence between automotive and computer technology that could also provide opportunity for cyber attackers.
However, Thatcham's chief technology officer, Andrew Miller, believes the key to keeping thieves at bay is by creating robust safety standards.
"There are a wide range of stakeholders with an obvious interest in this area from the likes of Google and Apple who are increasingly moving into the automotive space to the more traditional vehicle manufacturers," Miller said.
"With this mix of interested parties it's critical to quickly establish a set of robust security standards and protocols around cyber security that everyone can agree and work to and which will avoid the kind of fragmented approach that hackers could exploit," he added.
