Publications

The advent of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) will have profound effects on car owner- ship, transportation, and security. It is already possible to hack into individual cars through their entertainment and navigation systems. The connecting of AVs to networks will make it possible to hack them on a large scale. Policymakers should act now to implement both technical and legal security mechanisms. Potential solu- tions include the establishment of a system of certificates, an effort to establish an air gap between different computer networks in the vehicles, and the creation of laws that penalize hackers. Still, manufacturers should not be deterred by the risks of AVs. Instead, they should race ahead in the development of this potentially lifesaving technology.