NHTSA issues guidelines for protecting connected cars against cyberattacks

On Monday, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued guidelines for automakers and developers, highlighting the need to protect increasingly autonomous cars against cyberattacks.

The 22-page document released by NHTSA outlines the agency’s voluntary best practices for automakers going forward. The document underscores the fact that the NHTSA acknowledges that protection of connected cars against cyberattacks will be an ongoing battle.

The release of the document comes within a week of one of the most massive high-profile cyberattacks in US history; and underscores an effort by the federal officials to ensure that hackers are not able to attack the computers which control connected cars.

In its guidelines, the NHTSA has advised automakers to use a layered approach to vehicle security, so that in case of a successful cyberattack the vehicle systems are capable of taking “appropriate and safe actions.”

Furthermore, suggesting that automakers and developers should keep cyber security in mind, right at the outset, while designing connected systems, the NHTSA said in its document: "If a cyber-attack is detected, the safety risk to vehicle occupants and surrounding road users should be mitigated and the vehicle should be transitioned to a reasonable risk state."