Nick Percoco and Josh Corman of the security advocacy group I Am The Cavalry discuss their car computer safety proposal at Defcon 22. Seth Rosenblatt/CNET
LAS VEGAS -- Cars are often rated on things like performance, comfort, value, and safety. But what about computer security? As cars become more computerized, should there be a rating system to let consumers know how safe vehicles are from hacking?
That's exactly what security advocacy group I Am The Cavalry proposed at the annual Defcon hacker convention. Founded by longtime security researchers, the group aims to get hardware manufacturers and policy makers to take computer security seriously.
The Five Star Automotive Cyber Safety Program proposal offers a five-point checklist of computer technology best practices for automakers to implement. The checklist addresses issue like software design and development, third-party collaborators, and security updates.
I Am The Cavalry unveiled the proposal in an open letter to security researchers and car manufacturers on Friday, along with a petition to help raise public awareness and support for the measure. It's an important first step towards a collaborative future between security experts and automakers.
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