Perhaps the greatest concern surrounding autonomous cars is that of security. Once our safety is in the hands of autonomous cars, what happens if someone else manages to hack into the driver’s seat remotely?
This article from Wired Magazine discusses how car companies are taking a heads-on approach to safety and inviting cybersecurity experts to try to hack into their vehicles – and even paying those who are successful. But automakers aren’t just using these “bug bounties” to tease out flaws in the software. The publicity of such an effort also publicly demonstrates their commitment to security and safety. It’s a smart move, but what’s the next step? Automakers may start branding not only the cars themselves but the very security systems and cyber protection features that are crucial to guaranteeing the safest transportation possible.