U.S. Auto Safety Regulator Investigates Tesla’s Self-Driving System - 1

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U.S. Auto Safety Regulator Investigates Tesla’s Self-Driving System

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • The U.S. federal auto safety regulation will investigate Tesla’s self-driving software after 4 accidents were reported, including a fatal crash
  • Around 2.4 million cars will be included in the probe
  • The agency expects to determine if the system has flaws in reduced visibility conditions

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced this Friday that it will investigate Tesla’s self-driving software after four crashes related to the company’s technology—including one in which a person died—were reported.

“In these crashes, the reduced roadway visibility arose from conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust,” states the official report shared by the federal auto safety regulator. “In one of the crashes, the Tesla vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian. One additional crash in these conditions involved a reported injury.

According to Reuters , the NHTSA will investigate 2.4 million cars that include the self-driving system, covering X vehicles with the optional system, 2016-2024 Model S, 2020-2024 Model Y, 2017-2024 Model 3, and 2023-2024 Cybertruck.

During the evaluation to determine whether or not Tesla’s vehicles represent a safety risk, the agency will investigate the engineering controls of the “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software to detect reduced visibility conditions and respond accordingly if other crashes have occurred under similar reduced visibility conditions, as well as recent updates that may have affected the vehicles’ performance.

Recent studies have proven that weather conditions can result in more accidents with self-driving systems compared to human drivers . According to the New York Times , “Tesla’s self-driving software depends on cameras to operate, unlike other manufacturers who also use radar or laser technology that are often better at detecting objects and people when the view is obscured by poor weather or bright sunshine.”

Tesla hasn’t shared any official announcement in response to the federal auto safety regulator’s investigation.

Last week, Tesla announced a new robotaxi model called CyberCab and a new larger autonomous vehicle, the Robovan.

Hackers Stole Data Of Over 5,000 Individuals From Globe Life - 2

Image by DC Studio, from Freepik

Hackers Stole Data Of Over 5,000 Individuals From Globe Life

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Stolen data includes names, contact details, and Social Security numbers.
  • The company says no financial data, like credit card information, was compromised.
  • Globe Life’s operations remain unaffected despite the ongoing investigation.

Globe Life, an insurance company, is facing an extortion attempt after hackers stole data on over 5,000 individuals from one of its subsidiaries. The company informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has reported the incident to federal law enforcement.

So far, the investigation suggests that the compromised data may include personal information of about 5,000 individuals linked to the company’s subsidiary, American Income Life Insurance.

This data includes names, contact details, Social Security numbers, and health-related information, but no financial data like credit card or banking information has been found. The threat actor has also shared limited information with short sellers and attorneys, claiming to have more data, which is still under investigation.

Globe Life warned that the full scope of information possessed by the threat actor has not been fully verified. The Texas-based insurance giant said the extortion attempts did not involve ransomware or any cyberattack that disrupted company operations.

The demands from the hackers remain unknown, and Globe Life declined to respond to questions from TechCrunch and The Record .

The company plans to notify affected individuals, take protective measures, and continue working with regulators. As of now, Globe Life believes the incident hasn’t significantly impacted its operations or financial health.

Globe Life previously reported a data breach on June 13 after identifying a compromise during a review of vulnerabilities related to access permissions and user identity management for its web portal, noted Bleeping Computer (BC).

The company warned that hackers might have accessed consumer and policyholder data through the breach of one of the portals, said BC.

While the breach didn’t significantly disrupt operations, there were concerns about the potential exposure of data, which could impact millions, notes BC.

This recent extortion attempt highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting sensitive data across industries. This is particularly concerning in the insurance sector, where personal information is a prime target.