FASTR Automotive Security Consortium Adds Uber Security Lead as Technical Committee Chair

FASTR builds out technical steering committee and adds new contributing members, Argus Cyber Security and RunSafe Security

BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–FASTR(SM), a nonprofit research consortium dedicated to automotive cybersecurity, today announced that Uber’s Hudson Thrift has been appointed to chair the consortium’s Technical Steering Committee. Thrift currently leads the infrastructure security team for Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, which most notably develops and deploys connected cars and self-driving vehicles. He is a co-founder and former COO of Kaprica Security, a mobile security company serving large enterprise and government customers, which was acquired by Samsung Electronics in 2016.

Thrift will guide FASTR’s dedicated initiative to deliver actionable research that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and others in the automotive ecosystem can use to inform their design decisions with security in mind. Immediate work groups for research include:

• In-vehicle operating systems’ longevity and maintenance, anomaly detection and tooling for testing, analysis and future adoption of buses.
• Delivery platforms and techniques for secure over-the-air updates.
• Secure system and subsystem architectures for autonomy and supporting technologies.

“For too long automotive security has followed behind technical trends and innovations in the broader security space,” Thrift said. “The research FASTR supports will work to turn that relationship on its head and empower security as not only an enabler, but a driver of automotive innovation.”

FASTR (Future of Automotive Security Technology Research) also today announced two additional contributing members: Argus Cyber Security, which provides comprehensive and proven solution suites to protect connected cars and commercial vehicles against cyber attacks, and RunSafe Security, Inc., the pioneer of a unique cyberhardening technology designed to disrupt attackers and protect vulnerable embedded systems and devices, including electronic control units (ECUs) and telematics platforms on vehicles.

“We are happy to be joining forces with FASTR to promote automotive cyber security research and solutions,” said Yoni Heilbronn, CMO of Argus Cyber Security. “Industry collaborations such as the FASTR automotive security consortium are vital to ensuring that the entire vehicle supply chain accounts for the risks brought on by vehicle connectivity and that it does what’s needed to protect motorists and vehicles from cyber threats. We’re confident that teaming up with FASTR will greatly contribute to this.”

“Our vision fits well with FASTR’s manifesto, as we work to disrupt the traditional economics of cyber attacks, thereby significantly reducing vulnerabilities so connected cars are protected cars and safety is maintained,” said Joseph Saunders, CEO of RunSafe Security, Inc.

Founded by Aeris, Intel and Uber in 2016, FASTR seeks to accelerate automotive security by marshaling industry-wide collaboration on threat models, reference architectures, proofs of concept, code samples, white papers, best-known methods, etc. Such actionable applied and theoretical R&D is needed now to drive systematic coordination of cybersecurity across the entire automotive supply chain and ensure trust in the connected and autonomous vehicle of the future. To access the organization’s manifesto, visit https://fastr.org/about-us/what-is-fastr-a-manifesto/.

FASTR invites researchers from OEMs; sharing-economy companies; Tier 1s and 2s; security, system-on-chip (SOC), hardware and software firms; academia, and others to join its work. To become a member of FASTR and get involved in a work group, go to https://fastr.org/membership/.

About FASTR

FASTR—Future of Automotive Security Technology Research—is a neutral nonprofit automotive security research consortium working to deliver the actionable applied and theoretical R&D needed now to drive systematic coordination of cybersecurity across the entire supply chain and ensure trust in the connected and autonomous vehicle of the future. For more information, please visit fastr.org.

FASTR Contacts:
Interprose for FASTR
Lisa McCausland, +1-303-888-2137
[email protected]

About Argus:
Argus is the world’s largest independent automotive cyber security company. Argus’s comprehensive and proven solution suites protect connected cars and commercial vehicles against cyberattacks. With decades of experience in both cyber security and the automotive industry, Argus offers innovative security methods and proven computer networking know-how with a deep understanding of automotive best practices. Customers include car manufacturers, their Tier 1 suppliers, and aftermarket connectivity providers. Founded in 2013, Argus is headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, with offices in Michigan, Silicon Valley, Stuttgart and Tokyo. Visit www.argus-sec.com to learn more.

@ArgusSec | LinkedIn

Argus Contact:
Brandon Weinstock
[email protected]
+1-914-336-4878