Increasing Cybersecurity in Transportation

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The United States Senate has recently reintroduced two new bills intended to strengthen cybersecurity in vehicles and airplanes. In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), where cars can be hacked as easily as computers, the new bills may have their merits in today’s day and age.

In the first bill, The Security and Privacy in Your Car Act, the Federal Trade Commission would set federal standards on a security and privacy rating system. The rating system will be established to inform consumers on how well protected their vehicles are from cyber threats.

The same bill will also instruct the Federal Highway Administration to create tools to help transportation authorities identify, respond, recover, and protect against cybersecurity incidents. A cyber coordinator will also be appointed for this job.

The legislation is acknowledging the fact that vehicles are becoming increasingly complicated and vulnerable to cyberattacks. The bill is a proactive approach to reduce the likelihood of any malicious hacking of vehicles in the near future.

The second bill, the Cybersecurity Standards for Aircraft to Improve Resilience Act, will involve the airlines to reveal information relating to cyberattacks on aircraft systems. The bill’s main intent is to study the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of the United States commercial aviation system. A set of standards identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities will also be established.

Homelandprepnews.com mentions that the bill was reintroduced by two members of the United States Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA).