Privacy, cybersecurity, spectrum key for connected cars: senators

Earmarked spectrum, cybersecurity improvements and increased privacy watchdog powers are among the recommendations of a report released on Monday by the Senate standing committee on transport and communications, which has been studying the autonomous vehicles industry in Canada. The report recommended that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) set aside 5.9 GHz wireless spectrum for use of vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology. Another name for the spectrum is dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), and it’s been set aside by the United States for automotive use since 1999. DSRC would allow connected cars to speak to each other, and maintain safe speeds and distances between vehicles, for example. Proponents of the system claim it could avoid car accidents and save lives. The report also called for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) to “proactively investigate and enforce industry compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act .” The committee heard witness testimony outlining the privacy risks of self-driving cars. Toronto-based lawyer Imran Ahmad said he agrees with the notion that OPC enforcement should be augmented and “privacy by design, privacy impact assessments ... and threat risk assessments ... should be minimal requirements imposed on auto-manufacturers in this space,” he told The Wire Report in an email. The report noted witness testimony distinguished between needing different approaches to helpful data collection like anonymous safety info versus data used for economic purposes like advertising. “I am delighted that the Senate had the foresight to reference the need to embed proactive Privacy by Design measures into self-driving cars,” said privacy expert Ann Cavoukian in an email, who developed the principles of privacy by design. “I think it’s safe to say that our privacy laws need a major upgrade … PIPEDA was introduced in the early 2000s, and so much has changed since then. Technologies have advanced dramatically, with our laws failing to keep up.” Another recommendation from the report is to have the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) partner with the Public Safety to develop protections against malicious actors. During a press conference covering the report on Monday, committee members referenced an example from 2015 where a vehicle was remotely taken control of by a group of security researchers. The report recommended that the groups work “to address cybersecurity issues and to establish a real-time crisis connect network.” It didn’t specify what form such a network would take, describing it only as a system which would “allow subscribers to respond to cybersecurity vulnerabilities in a timely manner, and to learn from each other.” The creation of this sort of arrangement wouldn’t just benefit automated vehicles, said Ahmad. “It applies to any industry – ranging from telcos, to mining. Real time info sharing is key to effective detection and response to cyber threats. The U.S. already has this in place. We need to catch-up in Canada – and fast.” At the end of the day, Senator Dennis Dawson said in an interview following the release of the report, “it's not a question of if, it's only a question of when,” automated vehicles hit the road. — With reporting by Bryson Masse at bmasse@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

Privacy, cybersecurity, spectrum key for connected cars: senators

News | January 30, 2018

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Privacy, cybersecurity, spectrum key for connected cars: senators

News | January 30, 2018

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