FASTR (Future of Automotive Security Technology Research) released a manifesto, Toward Tomorrow's "Organically Secure" Vehicle, declaring the organization's intentions.

Click here to see the infographic on the Organically Secure Vehicle of Tomorrow

Formerly "Automotive Security Review Board" and founded by Aeris, Intel Security and Uber in 2016, FASTR seeks to enable innovation in automotive security by marshaling industry-wide collaboration on 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.

FASTR provides a neutral, pre-competitive, open environment through which the evolving automotive ecosystem can collaborate. FASTR brings together auto-industry veterans and disruptors, technology giants and startups, leading academics and hackers to create the agile, iterative research and produce the reference architectures, proofs of concept, code samples, white papers, best known methods, etc. that automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need today, to drive requirements across their supply chains, reduce risks and liabilities and foster trust in connected and autonomous vehicles of the future.

"Autonomy promises to be one of the most significant safety mechanisms the world has ever built," reads the manifesto from FASTR. "But autonomy and security go hand in hand; autonomy and trust exist in equal measure. If we trust the autonomous technology in the vehicle, we will deploy it widely, and, if we do not, it will remain a laboratory curiosity. Trust depends crucially on security in and around the car."

The manifesto goes on to outline the opportunities that exist to rearchitect the vehicle so that cybersecurity is at its very foundation and coordinated across the entire, evolving automotive supply chain. In this way, the manifesto says, connected vehicles would be created "organically secure," systematically more able to deal with threats safely and predictably and, ultimately, to self-heal.

"We created the manifesto to put a stake in the ground and a call to action," said Steve Grobman, FASTR Board President and Intel Security Group CTO. "The connected and autonomous car of the future offers revolutionary benefits: dramatic reduction in accidents, alleviation of city congestion, mobility for all and more. All of the benefits will rely on non-negotiable automotive security, as well as the industry collaboration and innovation that FASTR fuels. A diversity of expertise, inputs and perspectives is needed in this effort."

Craig Hurst is Executive Director, FASTR, and Director, Industry Alliances & Marketing Transportation Solutions Division, Intel.