Intel is working to make smart cars safe from hackers

Alongside the plethora of useful features that smart cars offer is the ever-present threat of hackers. Security experts have been worrying about the threat that hackers pose to smart cars for years, but it wasn’t until just recently that consumers really started to understand how vulnerable these cars actually are. As it stands, smart cars have next to no security measures in place to defend against hackers, and the danger that this could pose to drivers goes without saying. That’s why Intel has formed the Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB), which the company hopes will be able to develop adequate protection for smart cars.

Intel is trying to become a leader in the effort to keep cars safe from hackers. The company announced Monday that it will form an Automotive Security Review Board, which will be composed of researchers who will test car security and recommend ways manufacturers can design safer vehicles. The security — or lack thereof — of cars connected to the Internet has come to the forefront in recent months as researchers proved they could commandeer a Jeep Cherokee and manipulate its transmission and brakes from more than 10 miles away earlier this summer, prompting Jeep-maker Fiat Chrysler to recall more than 1 million vehicles. “The reality is, we’re implementing so much more functionality in automobiles that it delivers great value, but it also exposes more attack surfaces,” says Lorie Wigle, general manager for “Internet of Things” security at Intel. She says the company’s car products, including processors and infotainment systems, already include built-in security. Nearly all cars could be vulnerable to hacks, according to a report published by Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) office in February.