General Motors Cybersecurity Chief to Combat Car Hacking
A position for the very first General Motors cybersecurity chief has been created to secure GM vehicles against hackers. This position was awarded to manager, Jeffrey Massimilla, in a time where hacking into computer systems has never been easier.
The more GM and other automakers move toward semi-autonomous and fully-autonomous vehicles, the more urgent the need to protect them against hackers becomes. Experts believe that hackers may even go so far as to exploit glitches in the software to harm drivers and passengers.
“If you look at the technology as we put semi-autonomous and autonomous systems into vehicles, we have to be able to look at this at a very very critical systems level and do it defect-free for the customer,” Mark Reuss, GM Vice President of Global Product Development, told Reuters. “So that’s the competitive advantage we’re trying to really put in place for General Motors.”
Reportedly, just last month a group called “I am the Calvary” sent GM and other automakers a letter urging them to do something to protect their cars and their passengers against these security threats. It is not clear whether the new General Motors cybersecurity chief is the direct result of this action, or if this had been in the works much longer.
News Source: Reuters
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