3 Questions for Christopher
What is your current project/area of responsibility?
I am currently a regulatory expert (REX) for software updates and cybersecurity in the department, which deals with driver assistance systems and automated driving. In close cooperation with other experts from the regulatory team, I ensure that statutory requirements are adhered to, which particularly includes interpreting statutory requirements within AUDI AG.
Could you briefly describe your sector’s increased influence in the automotive industry?
Cybersecurity and software updates in general are two key and mutually reinforcing topics that will become a growing priority for all automotive companies as vehicles become increasingly digitized. Our customers have to be able to feel safe and comfortable in our cars in every situation. Safety is a fundamental element, especially when it comes to the highly automated driving functions of our premium vehicles. For this reason, we also use the development potential within AUDI AG and work closely together.
What major challenges will emerge in the future?
We need to get faster and better. We see hackers attacking our ecosystems with increasingly innovative tools and more sophisticated methods. We constantly offer additional functions that can be activated digitally (Functions on Demand), which can be activated for a fee. These features are a great incentive for attackers. What makes it complicated and challenging is that we, as a vehicle manufacturer, have to find and close all the vulnerabilities, but an attacker only needs to find and exploit one vulnerability.
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