Do you ever feel like Google knows everything about you? When you do a generic search like “stocking stuffers,” its results show you suggestions that are eerily specific in their appropriateness for the intended recipients of your gifts. How does Google know that you are on a decluttering kick? How did it guess that you plan to serve one vegan dessert and one keto dessert at your family’s holiday dinner? If you are lucky, then your experiences with the feeling that smart technology knows too much about you only go as far as that creepy feeling that you have Googled your worries and quirks one too many times. What if your lack of caution made it possible for strangers to get your personal contact information, or, even worse, access your personal data to make fraudulent transactions? Even worse, what if you used reasonable caution to keep your private information private, but your electronic devices gave your information away because they were not sufficiently protected against hacking. It is a financial and legal nightmare for consumers, as well as for the manufacturers of the devices.
Data Privacy in the Automotive Industry
Ransomware attacks on the smart technology in cars have become more frequent as cars have gotten smarter. Therefore, automotive cybersecurity is a rapidly growing market; it has become a multibillion-dollar industry in the past few years. In fact, a survey of the Society of Automotive Engineers International reported that most manufacturers think that it is likely or very likely that the software in motor vehicles will be the target of malicious attacks in the coming year.
Consumers worry about the vulnerability of their personal information in-car technology. This is not enough to dissuade them from using the smart technology in cars. It just means that they pay attention to the track record of the technology in the cars they plan to buy to see how safe it is from security breaches. If a vehicle owner’s data gets stolen through software in the car, the car manufacturer could be legally liable.
Why Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Should Be Especially Cautious
Since smart technology in cars is becoming the rule rather than the exception, all car manufacturers need to ensure that the software in their cars has strong defenses against malicious attacks and attempts to compromise the security of consumers’ information. This is especially important for electric cars, though. There are two reasons for this. The first is that electric cars are simply more technologically advanced and have more software. The second is that electric car buyers tend to be more knowledgeable about car technology; therefore, they are more likely to buy your cars if their software security is good.
Consult an Attorney About Software Security in Electric Cars
Good legal advice is your first line of defense against an attack on your electric cars’ software and the resulting legal debacle. Working with lawyers at every stage of the design and manufacturing process, and even after the cars go on the market, can help you avoid costly lawsuits.