Automotive

Podcast Beta Deaths: are we driving too fast towards Autonomous Vehicles?

In this week’s Security Ledger Podcast (Episode #89) we talk with Beau Woods of The Atlantic Council and the advocacy group I Am The Cavalry about the death of 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, who was struck and killed by an autonomous vehicle operated by Uber. Also: following Facebook’s privacy meltdown with Cambridge Analytica, we’re joined by Konstantinos Komaitis, the Director of Policy Development at the Internet Society about what real social media privacy reforms should look like. And a new Ponemon Institute survey finds companies are convinced that insecure Internet of Things devices will result in them being hacked – but they’re not doing anything to stop it.

Autonomous vehicles could save more lives than they take. That might not matter.

Autonomous driving technology has the potential to save many more lives than it takes. But that may not matter if the public becomes convinced that autonomous vehicles are a danger to society. 

Update: Two Years After Discovery Dangerous Security Hole Lingers in GPS Services

Security researchers warned of a serious vulnerability in a GPS service by the China-based firm ThinkRace exposes sensitive data in scores of GPS services, more than two years after the hole was discovered and reported to the firm. (Update: added comment from John van den Oever, the CEO of one2track B.V – PFR 1/3/2018)

Podcast – Smart Vehicle Security: A Report from the Lab

In-brief: In this Security Ledger podcast, Paul speaks with Sameer Dixit of Spirent Security Labs, a leading tester of connected (“smart”) vehicles. Truly secure, connected vehicles may be years away, he says. In the meantime, security flaws and poorly implemented features are a major issue, Dixit says, with many car companies still preferring bolt on security fixes over secure design. 

Report: Major Upgrade, Investments Needed to Secure Connected Vehicles, Infrastructure

In-brief: a report by the Cloud Security Alliance calls for a bottom up remake of infrastructure to support connected vehicles and warns of more, serious attacks as connected vehicles begin interacting with each other and with connected – but insecure – infrastructure.