Autonomous tech safety is a primary concern

Martin Hunt, the automotive industry practice lead at BT Global Services, talks to The National about the issues involving robot-driven cars.

While the onward march of robot-driven cars seems unstoppable, cyber-security surrounding the technology required to make it a reality is a continuing source of concern, denting public perceptions.

Here, Martin Hunt, the automotive industry practice lead at BT Global Services, a division of the UK telecoms operator BT Group that provides communications services and solutions, talks to The National about the issues involved.

In addition to cyber-security, how can consumer scepticism around autonomous vehicle security be addressed?

As driverless cars slowly become a reality – and have in fact, started appearing on roads in their formative stage – the question of security cannot be sidestepped. As connectivity increases, the chances for hacking go up correspondingly as well. For driverless cars to be successful in terms of public perception and adoption, automotive expertise must go hand in hand with security expertise. That being said, manufacturers need to work with security companies to ensure that car occupants and pedestrians alike are given the highest standards of safety. Security cannot be treated as an afterthought in this regard.

New methods of attack will inevitably be developed. How can cyber-security technology keep up?

One way for organisations to stay ahead of attackers and for security strategy to move forward is through mutual collaboration, and the sharing of intelligence and expertise. Continuous testing of the security … is important. Our global network means we see as much cyber activity as anyone in the world. So we’re good at spotting existing threats and staying up to date with emerging ones. We focus on gathering, analysing and sharing the latest intelligence so that protective controls can be updated in real-time and organisations can respond faster, and close the gap between detection and protection. To do it, we’ve built our own big data platform that can work out immediately which systems might be under threat – a job that normally takes days.

The "attack surface" of driverless vehicles is considerable, and surely someone will find a way to hack it – what can be done to address that?

It is true that as more “things” get connected, the attack surface for malicious players increases. It is inevitable to have security “built-in” from the very first moment, so security experts need to be involved in the design process of all these systems. [For example] our Ethical Hacking Service revolves around finding every conceivable vulnerability in a vehicle. This includes power plugs, USB ports, Bluetooth links and even DVD drives, but also external systems that are connected to the vehicle. In this way, we aim to help manufacturers of smart cars stay ahead of the attackers and effectively safeguard any point of compromise in the car.

Is the remote malicious hacking nightmare envisioned by some sceptics really just a fuss over nothing?

What is encouraging is that very few reported hacks against cars have actually taken place. What is troubling is that security isn’t being approached with the level of seriousness that it needs to be, because it’s only a matter of time before malicious parties start targeting motorised vehicles. Just because it hasn’t taken place on a significant scale yet doesn’t mean it’s not likely to happen in the future, especially with the strides being taken with the technology. The threat is real, and the best way for companies to deal with this threat is by being proactive, looking ahead and gathering intelligence on changing criminal tactics and new threats.

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