Securing Driverless Cars From Hackers Is Hard. Ask the Ex-Uber Guy Who Protects Them

Two years ago, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek pulled off a demonstration that shook the auto industry, remotely hacking a Jeep Cherokee via its internet connection to paralyze it on a highway. Since then, the two security researchers have been quietly working for Uber, helping the startup secure its experimental self-driving cars against exactly the sort of digital attack they proved was possible on a traditional one. Now, Miller has moved on, and he's ready to broadcast a message to the automotive industry: Securing autonomous cars from digital attacks is a very difficult problem. It's time to get serious about solving it. Last month, Miller left Uber for a position at Chinese competitor Didi, a startup that's just now beginning its own autonomous ridesharing project.