Could other models be vulnerable to the Fiat Chrysler hack?
Fiat Chrysler may not be the only car company with cybersecurity problems.
In posted on its website last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 鈥� the United States鈥� top auto safety regulator 鈥� said an estimated 2.8 million car audio systems supplied by manufacturer Harman International Industries, Inc. could be vulnerable to the same kind of hacking that led Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to recall a record 1.4 million vehicles on July 24.
The memo is the latest sign that the NHTSA has increased its聽efforts at cracking down on auto companies, as the agency faces both calls from Congress to be more aggressive in catching car defects聽and concern from the public that the growing number of聽Internet-connected cars on the road lack basic security measures.
鈥淭here are hundreds of thousands of cars that are vulnerable on the road right now,鈥� Charlie Miller, formerly with the National Security Agency and now with Twitter, .
Mr. Miller is one of two hackers who, , demonstrated that a Jeep Cherokee could be wirelessly controlled through its radio system. The report led to the Fiat Chrysler recall and drew renewed attention to cybersecurity in the auto industry.
鈥淭his is the shot across the bow. Everybody's been saying 鈥榗ybersecurity.鈥� Now you鈥檝e got to step up,鈥� NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind . 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to see the entire industry proactively dealing with these things.鈥�
The inquiry into Harman Kardon 鈥� which for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Subaru, and Volvo as well as Fiat Chrysler 鈥� opened on July 29 with the goal of determining whether radio systems that the company provided other automakers are open to the same kind of third-party control found in Chrysler鈥檚 Uconnect units, according to the memo.
鈥淚f sufficient similarities exist, the investigation will examine if there is cause for concern that security issues exist in other Harman Kardon products,鈥� the memo reads.
The evolving relationship between automobiles and technology has the potential to be life-saving, . But as cars increasingly rely on computers, the risk of data breaches rises as well, .
Some car companies have taken steps to safeguard their own systems, 海角大神 reported in July.
Ford and Toyota have built protective firewalls built into their hardware and hired teams of hackers to hunt for weak spots. Toyota has also installed chips in cars鈥� computers to narrow communication and bolster safety.
Tesla has a 'responsible disclosure' program that gives hackers incentives to disclose their findings with the company.
The government is addressing the issue as well. Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey (D) and Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal last month introduced that would direct the NHTSA and the Federal Trade Commission to establish federal standards around car security and driver privacy. 聽
鈥淒rivers shouldn鈥檛 have to choose between being connected and being protected,鈥� Sen. Markey . 鈥淲e need clear rules of the road that protect cars from hackers and American families from data trackers.鈥�
