In our politically toxic capital, there?s a bipartisan effort underway to better protect motorists in a world increasingly aware that automobiles are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation Wednesday called the Security and Privacy in Your Car Study Act of 2017, or the SPY Act. It would direct federal regulators to conduct a study that would determine the best cyber standards and defenses for motor vehicles. 
?Cars don?t necessarily come to mind when most of us think about cybersecurity,? said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who co-sponsored the bill along with Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC). ?But the Internet of Things is bringing technology and connectivity into every part of our lives?including our motor vehicles. Without good cyber hygiene, a hacker could easily turn a car into a weapon.? Terrorists in Berlin and in Nice, France, have shown in recent months that advanced computer skills aren?t necessarily needed to kill with vehicles. But in an era of heightened attention to cyberattacks of any stripe, there?s concern that vehicles?and fleets of vehicles?could be an attractive target for adversaries.
In July 2015, two security researchers demonstrated the capability to commandeer remote control of a Jeep Cherokee from hundreds of miles away, a disclosure that rattled regulators and brought greater scrutiny to an issue the auto industry has been slow to address.

Automakers formed their own Information Sharing and Analysis Cent...