FCA to recall 1.4 million US vehicles to protect them from cybersecurity attacks

On Friday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that it will recall 1.4 million cars and trucks in the US, to install software for protecting them against potential cybersecurity attacks. The recall, aimed at beefing up the security of in-car software, marks the first-of-its-kind action for the auto industry.

The recall has been announced by FCA close on the heels of a last-week Wired report which revealed that cybersecurity researchers had successfully demonstrated the hack of an on-road Jeep Cherokee remotely. With the researchers having turned off the engine of the Jeep Cherokee with the help of a wireless connection, the hack has brought the safety of Internet-enabled vehicles under the scanner.

The software which FCA plans to install in the under-recall 1.4 million US vehicles will chiefly prevent hackers from gaining remote control of the engine, steering and other systems of the vehicles.

Towards that end, FCA said on Friday - in coincidence with the announcement of the recall - that network-level security measures have been designed by the company to prevent "the type of remote manipulation demonstrated in a recent media report."

In reference to the recall announced by FCA, Mark Rosekind – the administrator of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – said: “Launching a recall is the right step to protect Fiat Chrysler's customers and it sets an important precedent for how NHTSA and the industry will respond to cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”