New cyber security standard for self-driving vehicles

New guidance has been published by the British Standards Institute (BSI) to help protect self-driving cars from being hacked.

The new security standard has been developed by the Institute, with input from academics and experts from leading businesses in the car industry, including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Bentley, as well as the National Cyber Security Centre, and funded by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Jesse Norman, future of mobility 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 announcement follows the Government’s publication last year, which set out key principles of cyber security for automated vehicles, such as the expectation that systems should be designed to be resilient to attacks and respond appropriately when its defences fail.

Car manufacturers will be able to use the new standard to demonstrate that they are following these principles.