Tesla, an American automotive and energy company, announced its bug bounty program by offering US$1 million and a free car to any security researcher who can hack their Model 3 car.
Last year, a security research team named Fluoroacetate won a Tesla Model 3 and US$35,000 for exposing vulnerabilities in Tesla’s infotainment system.
The Elon Musk-owned electric automaker stated that it’s going to be featured in the hacking event Pwn2Own, which will be held in Vancouver in March 2020.
Bug hunting events help companies to test and improve their security systems. According to several cybersecurity experts, Tesla cars are tough to hack.
David Kennedy, the CEO of TrustedSec, said, “Tesla is on the path to be the most secure car. I don’t think that they’re there yet, but I think they’re definitely striving for it.”
Tesla functions more like a technology firm because it is known to have its own operating system. The company periodically sends updates to the customers’ car overnight, including new features (like raising the ground clearance) and security updates.