Fleets have been advised to take a ‘proportionate’ response to concerns surrounding espionage and cyber spying.
The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has recommended that fleets take varying action, based on how security-critical their work is.
It comes after a series of news reports highlighted the potential security risk of driving connected cars, which have internet access, and often have numerous cameras and microphones.
Reports have warned that such vehicles could potentially be hacked, accessing location data, as well as being able to listen in to conversations taking place in the vehicle.
Paul Hollick, chair of the AFP, said: “Can vehicles equipped with multiple cameras, microphones, lidar and their own internet access potentially be used to gather information in a hostile manner? The answer to that is yes. However, we have no knowledge of this ever having happened and this is a subject where it is easy to stray into sensationalism.”
News reports have focused on electric vehicles (EVs), as well as Chinese cars.
Hollick continued: “The concentration on EVs is probably unfair. Because they are new and tend to be among the most advanced vehicles on the road, electric cars and vans will be better equipped with the kinds of cameras and microphones that present risk, but there is no practical experience to suggest that they bring a higher level of jeopardy.”
The AFP has recommended that fleets in critical infrastructure, defence and the Government take precautions such as vigilance around parking locations when using sensitive facilities.
Hollick said: “To us, these actions seem sensible. These are sectors with a heightened awareness of cyber security and which have good reasons to be very careful. They will also tend to have rules governing when and where personal mobile phones can be used, and the risk presented by the latest cars is not dissimilar.”
