U.S. Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week, asking for information on efforts taken to counter cyber-vulnerabilities of connected vehicles.
“We are concerned by the lack of publicly available information about the occurrence and handling of cyber vulnerabilities in internet-connected cars, and believe that NHTSA should be aware of these dangers in order to take possible regulatory action,” the Senators wrote to NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King.
While car manufacturers have admitted cyber vulnerabilities to their investors, the Senators note that they have failed to make the public aware — even though around 50 million cars in the U.S. have safety-affiliated systems connected to the internet. This leaves them potentially open to hacking and remote access — a potential danger for those in the vehicle, as well as those sharing the road with them. By 2022, it’s estimated that two-thirds of all new cars will feature such connected systems.
The two members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee pressed the NHTSA on four main points. They desired to know if the NHTSA has been notified of malicious hacking attempts or vulnerabilities to such attempts in connected vehicles. If so, they wanted to know what actions the NHTSA has taken on those issues — and if not, why not. In that regard, they want to know if there is a formal process for receiving reports of hacking or vulnerabilities. They also seek information on what actions the NHTSA will take in the future to address such vulnerabilities.