IoT in Cars – Intel Leads the way

Intel has announced a task force Monday to prevent car hackers from accessing vehicles connected to the internet with services like Android Auto and CarPlay. A report by Intel's MacAfee detailed recommendations to keep cars safe and prevent costly recalls. This board will help tackle dangers hackers and other vandals could pose to smart vehicles. This latest announcement comes after numerous reports of connected automobiles being hacked due to security vulnerabilities.

Intel has announced that it has established the Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB) that will be responsible in lowering cybersecurity risks on connected cars. Intel said that ASRB researchers will be performing audits intended to codify design recommendations, and best practices to benefit automobile drivers and industry while providing advanced cyber security solutions.

“We can, and must, raise the bar against cyberattacks in automobiles,” senior VP and GM of Intel Security, Chris Young said. “With the help of the ASRB, Intel can establish security best practices and encourage that cybersecurity is an essential ingredient in the design of every connected car. Few things are more personal than our safety while on the road, making ASRB the right idea at the right time.”

According to the company, it will begin recruiting top security industry talent from around the world.

By 2020 the number of passenger vehicles in use on the road will be between 150 million and 250 million, research firm Gartner predicted earlier this year. And while being constantly connected to the Internet can make a vehicle venerable to hacking, it's something Intel believes automakers can use to their advantage.

ASRB arrives at a time when Intel says the most hackable and exposed attacks surface on connected cars, such as steering and braking, the remote key, airbags and even lighting systems. The results would then be announced publicly as part of the ongoing process.

The establishment of the ASRB by Intel comes after Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million vehicles in July, 2015, when it was discovered that its connected automobiles can be hacked, and attackers can remotely disable the breaks and kill the engine. Policymakers have since called for laws mandating stricter cybersecurity rules for automakers.

Q3 Technologies is headquartered in Boston and has offices in Dallas, New York, Germany and UK with development centers in Massachusetts, Michigan and India. The company was established in 1996 and is one of the leading global IT/ software service providers. Q3 Technologies is a Microsoft certified gold partner. It's offshore software product development and software engineering processes have been awarded the prestigious CMMI level 3 and ISO-9001:2000 certifications.