NHTSA has released a document titled "Cybersecurity best practices for modern vehicles," that laid out the agency's "non-binding guidance" to the automotive industry for improving motor vehicle cybersecurity.

"This new cybersecurity guidance from the Department of Transportation is like giving a take-home exam on the honor code to failing students," said Senators Edward J. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, who are both members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

"In this new Internet of Things era, we cannot let safety, cybersecurity, and privacy be an afterthought," the senators added.

Markey and Blumenthal introduced in July last year in the Senate the Security and Privacy in Your Car Act, also known as the SPY Car Act. This would direct the NHTSA and the Federal Trade Commission to establish federal standards for vehicles made for sale in the U.S. that would protect the vehicles from unauthorized access to their electronic controls or data collected by electronic systems. A violator is liable for a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation.

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