As automakers work diligently to design hacker-proof technologies into new vehicles, independent service technicians may worry they could lose system-access gains they have made in the past decade. These challenges and concerns of vehicle cybersecurity will take center stage during a panel discussion on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 1:15 p.m., as part of the NASTF Fall 2015 General Meeting at AAPEX in Las Vegas.
Independent technician, writer and educator, Donny Seyfer, co-owner of Seyfer Automotive, Wheat Ridge, Colo., will address this important topic as moderator of a one-hour panel discussion, “How Will Vehicle Cybersecurity Impact Future Auto Repair?”
Three panelists will help Seyfer dig into the challenges and concerns of vehicle hacking.
Tim Hahn, a distinguished engineer at IBM for 20 years, joins the panel to offer significant perspective on this far-reaching topic. He is the chief architect for enterprise-modernization tools within IBM’s Software Rational Group, where he is responsible for strategy, architecture and design, and has been involved in system security for many years.
Mohan Sethi, a service solutions expert at Mahle, brings to the discussion his experience developing and deploying diagnostic solutions for various OEMs globally. He has 17 years in the automotive service business focused on vehicle diagnostic products and technologies, beginning his career with SPX and Bosch Service Solutions before joining Mahle in their service solutions group. Sethi works now with both OEM and aftermarket customers.
Carmen Gonzalez, a cyber-security expert with the Las Vegas Electronic Crimes Task Force for the U.S. Secret Service, will assist the panel in covering shop-side security where OEMs hold concerns for back-door hacking of vehicle or customer data.
“We will look, not only, at what’s happening at the manufacturing level,” explains Seyfer, “but also talk about what repair professionals should be doing in their facilities today and in the future.”
The NASTF Fall General Meeting will take place Nov. 4, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PST), in Casanova Room 504 at the Venetian. Registration is not required for the NASTF event, but seating is limited. Registration, however, is required for AAPEX. The full agenda for the NASTF Fall 2015 General Meeting is posted at www.nastf.org/GeneralMeetings.
AAPEX is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., with AAPEXedu sessions starting on Monday, Nov. 2.
AAPEX 2015 is expected to feature more than 2,400 exhibitors, 5,000 booths, 50-plus AAPEXedu sessions and 39,000 targeted buyers. Approximately 130,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from nearly 140 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX.