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Trend will work with Panasonic to thwart Connected Vehicle Hacks

Trend Micro said that it is partnering with the electronics firm Panasonic to secure in-vehicle infotainment (or IVI) systems in connected cars. 

Trend said on Tuesday that it has agreed to jointly develop a “cybersecurity solution” for connected cars that can prevent intrusions into vehicles’ infotainment systems, Engine Control Unit (ECU) and telematic systems.

Trend said the deal will couple its technology with Panasonic’s Control Area Network (CAN) intrusion detection and prevention technology. Trend’s piece of the solution will focus on protecting IVI devices from exploits.

Trend Micro said it will partner with Panasonic to thwart cyber attacks on vehicle entertainment systems.

Data from both systems will be collected and sent to a cloud platform for analysis while suspicious traffic to connected vehicles will be blocked.

“The combination of our IoT and threat prevention expertise and Panasonic’s knowledge of in-vehicle security and partnerships with car manufacturers will give us a great chance of making a real difference to connected car security. As cybercriminals continue to look for new revenue-making opportunities, that’s good news for carmakers and drivers alike,” Trend said in a statement.

Car makers have been on notice about remote attacks on CANs and other critical vehicle functions since researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller demonstrated a wireless and remote attack on a 2014 Jeep Cherokee in 2015. Both Miller and Valasek now work for Cruise Automation, GM’s autonomous driving unit.

Their research and a series of similar projects that have laid bare woeful communications and software security in vehicles have prompted a steep rise in interest in ways to protect connected cars, including new start up firms devoted to that cause. Still, the consensus is that new features in vehicles are running far ahead of protections for the risks introduced by those features.  That creates the possibility for both security and privacy lapses – and even incidents with cyber-physical consequences – as connected and sensor rich vehicles make their way onto the roads.

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