Porsche wants people to hack into its cars, or at least it wants specific people to do this under specific conditions. It’s all part of the company’s Bug Bounty program, which is now in its third year and has become a tradition.
Hacker gains access to unlock automaker’s cars from anywhere.
Similar to the program Tesla has held for many years, Porsche invites white hat hackers to infiltrate its many IT systems, including those which provide access to connected cars. It’s a way to expose how people with malicious intents might break in and cause serious damage to the automaker and its reputation.
But unlike what Tesla and some other companies do, this hacking program is an invitation-only event. Several hundred hand-selected IT security researchers are invited by Porsche to take part. The German automaker says it’s been expanded this year, calling Bug Bounty a success.
We really do wonder how successful it is if the pool of hackers is so small. Obviously, Porsche feels good about it, but with many automakers’ IT security being exposed as insufficient, it really does make us wonder.
Likely, the point of limiting the group is to avoid exposing secrets and vulnerabilities to the wrong people. But if the wrong people want such advantages, do they really need Porsche’s help?
Porsche does offer a financial incentive to anyone in the program who uncovers a legitimate security vulnerability. Exactly how much they get paid isn’t clear, but considering they’re helping do the company’s cybersecurity team’s work for them, they should get healthy compensation.
“In light of the current security landscape, it is more important than ever for Porsche to protect customer, employee and company data,” says Jörg Möbes, Director of Information Security at Porsche AG.
“Bug bounty programs are an effective way of extending Porsche’s existing security measures, helping us identify potential vulnerabilities at an early stage.”
Image via Porsche
Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Comments