The Government says the UK’s position as a world leader in the development of self-driving vehicles has been boosted by a ‘pioneering’ new cyber security standard.
Published on 19 December, the new guidance is designed to help protect self-driving cars from hacking – one of the principal concerns of many who oppose the technology.
The guidance has been developed by the DfT in partnership with academics, experts from businesses in the car industry – including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Bentley – and the National Cyber Security Centre.
It follows an earlier Government publication which set out key principles of cyber security for automated vehicles – including the expectation that systems should be designed to be resilient to attacks and respond appropriately if a vehicle’s defences fail.
The DfT says car manufacturers will be able to use the new standard to ‘demonstrate that they are following these principles’.
Jesse Norman, road safety minister, said: “As vehicles get smarter, major opportunities for the future of mobility increase. But so too do the challenges posed by data theft and hacking.
“This cyber security standard should help to improve the resilience and readiness of the industry, and help keep the UK at the forefront of advancing transport technology.”
The Government estimates that the UK market for connected and automated vehicles could be worth up to £52bn by 2035.
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