Jeep Hackers Miller and Valasek Reunite at Autonomous Driving Start-up Cruise

In-brief: Security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek are re-uniting at autonomous driving start-up Cruise after both, independently leaving ride hailing firm Uber in recent months. 

Security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, whose 2015 wireless hack of a Jeep Grand Cherokee prompted a wholesale re-evaluation of the cyber security of vehicles, are re-uniting at autonomous driving start-up Cruise after both, independently leaving ride hailing firm Uber in recent months.

Valasek announced his decision to join Cruise on Friday via social media posts on Twitter and Facebook. Miller acknowledged that he, too, had joined the company via Twitter.

Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller, who hacked a Jeep Cherokee in 2015, will go to work for GM’s autonomous driving start-up Cruise.

Both Miller and Valasek worked together for Uber’s Pittsburgh-base research and development operation for much of the last year, but left separately. Miller announced his departure from Uber in March, joining a fledgling autonomous driving lab in Mountain View, California started by Chinese firm Didi Chuxing Technology Co. (Didi and Uber swapped Uber’s Chinese operations for a stake in the Chinese firm in April, 2016.) Valasek’s last day at Uber was June 20th.

In a Twitter exchange on Friday, both Miller and Valasek teased about the latter’s need to find a job after leaving Uber. Valasek then confirmed that the two would be “heading up” Cruise’s vehicle security team. “Super excited to say that both @0xcharlie and I will be joining @Cruise. Heading up their Autonomous Vehicle security team #reunited,” Valasek tweeted.

Cruise was launched in 2014 by robotics experts and Kyle Vogt, whose other projects include Twitch. The company was acquired by GM in March, 2016 for more than $1 billion.

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