Although it goes without saying that more devices connect to the internet with every passing year, the nature of the latest connected devices has changed. Thanks to Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, computers and mobile devices have been joined on the internet by “always connected” appliances, industrial sensors, and even cars — the latter development a major step forward for the automotive industry.
The IoT revolution is unlocking tremendous innovation and potential for automakers, but it’s also opening car doors, hoods, and trunks to a new wave of cybersecurity threats. In the last three years, the automotive industry suffered a 225% increase in cyberattacks, including not only the data privacy breaches that have plagued every economic sector, but also troublingly successful digital car break-ins, thefts, and control system accesses. While automakers aspire to build safe cars, enhanced connectivity has increased that challenge in numerous ways.