Key takeaways from the “Preserving Safety and Data Privacy in Connected Vehicles” CES 2019 panel

It’s been a great week so far for the Arity team at CES 2019! We are meeting with some very smart new and old friends and partners and doing our best to take in all the futuristic insights, compelling panels, and innovative technology that this one-of-a-kind global gathering has to offer.

We wanted to pump the brakes and quickly review one of our favorite moments from Tuesday’s run of show, Trillium Secure’s “Preserving Data Privacy in Connected Vehicles” panel, which included Arity’s Gary Hallgren. Broadcasted from Trillium’s CES booth, Gary chatted with a dynamic group of industry experts, including:

• Jeff Hannah, Director at SBD Automotive
• Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research
• Karl Heimer, Principal at Heimer & Associates
• Di Ma, the Director of the Cybersecurity Center for Education, Research, and Outreach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

The session aimed to share insights on one of the most pertinent topics of conversation when it comes to trusted, connected mobility—the high stakes of protecting consumer data. The panel’s discussion brought to the forefront some of the privacy, security and ethical considerations that come with increased sophistication and proliferation of connected vehicles. As a company that is focused on using data to better understand driving behavior (and general lovers of all things data), Arity was excited to participate in this relevant and timely conversation. We sat down in our parent company’s (Allstate) booth with Gary to get his key takeaways from the panel, and get some additional commentary around why preserving safety and data privacy in connected vehicles is so vital.

We need to be clear, consumers have the right to decide what happens to their data. – The data belongs to the consumer, and as an industry, we need to operate in a way that acknowledges this as the absolute truth. Once a consumer has agreed to share their data, it is our responsibility to understand how and what is being collected. In turn, this allows us to identify the best approach to safeguarding the data and anonymizing it for sharing. The EU’s GDPR, known as General Data Protection Regulation, is a great example of this in practice—data hygiene. At Arity, we’re taking this a step further and gathering the tangible insights behind the data.

The key to doing privacy right, is doing it together. – Data privacy is still a relatively new territory for the automotive industry, which is really exciting to us because it places us in a position to shape this new, integral part of the future of the business. We can also create standards and safeguards that ensure data privacy from the start. Through partnerships, we can leverage each other’s strengths, experiment and iterate on different solutions and collectively create a new standard for vehicle cybersecurity and privacy. After all, no single company or solution can cover all fronts.

A smart and positive approach will deliver the greatest impact. – The insights garnered from the data of connected vehicles have the power to transform our roadways. It’s paramount that we not only protect that data but also assure consumers that we’re using it to their benefit.  At Arity, we’re using data to identify and quantify risky driving. With more knowledge about driver behavior, we can inform everyone – from the daily commuter looking to determine the validity of their Uber driver’s 5/5 rating, to the smart city that is looking to identify the most dangerous intersections on the road – about transportation possibilities that are smarter, safer and more useful.

We’re excited for what’s in store for the rest of the week! Check back in on the Move blog and our Twitter @Arity for hot takes on CES insights from panels, the show floor, and the future of transportation! Also, keep an eye out for our final CES 2019 wrap up post coming early next week.