Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has offered a bounty on vehicle digital security, taking customer engagement to a whole new level. The American automaker is challenging hackers to test the digital security of its vehicles and reporting back to the manufacturer.
FCA will pay up to $1,500 to hackers who manage to break into the infotainment and safety systems. Fiat seems to have taken a leaf out of Tesla’s book. A highly publicized contest held by an internet security firm in China led to a break-in into a Tesla Model S security system. Tesla’s response was constructive and asked hackers to find weak points, thus setting the precedent for an interesting feedback system.
The bounty on vehicle digital security seems to serve two purposes. Firstly, it engages hackers and motoring enthusiasts in the evolution of the digital system security by allowing them to explore vulnerabilities. Solutions can thus be implemented before the vehicles are out on the roads. Secondly, it emphasises FCA’s commitment to digital security which has increasingly become a source of concern as the systems are highly integrated.
Two years earlier, a team of hackers were able to break into Jeep Cherokee and take control of vital functions leading to over 1.4 million vehicles being recalled by FCA for a security patch.