Uber Hires Jeep Cherokee Hackers

Uber has just hired the two hackers who remotely took over a Jeep Cherokee last month.

Computer security engineers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek will work in Uber’s Pittsburgh offices, home to the company’s self-driving car and robotics research lab, where they will collaborate with Uber’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, and its chief information security officer, John Flynn. Together, they’ll work toward “building out a world-class safety and security program at Uber.”

Valasek previously worked at security research company IOActive, while Miller previously worked as a security researcher at Twitter. Therefore, not surprisingly, Miller confirmed the move in a tweet:

Last month, Miller discussed his career ambitions with The New York Times. “I’ve been in security for more than 10 years, and I’ve worked on computers and phones,” he explained. “This time, I wanted to do something that my grandmother would understand. If I tell her, ‘I can hack into your car’, she understands what that means.”

Would your grandmother understand that statement? Regardless, Miller and Valasek certainly bring a wealth of computer security expertise and experience to the table, and according to Reuters, they have both officially resigned from their jobs to move to Uber. Based in part on the duo’s headline-making Jeep Cherokee hack, they will be working at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center research lab where they will be entrusted with ensuring the safety of Uber’s driverless car project, according to Inquisitr. This announcement comes on the heels of the news that Uber has entered into a partnership with the University of Arizona, where they will use grant money for the research and development of its self-driving car initiatives. Uber has indicated that it will begin testing these autonomous cars in Tucson, Arizona, although driverless car prototypes have allegedly been spotted in Pittsburgh already.

Uber is certainly putting a lot of focus and energy into its self-driving car project, and its new employees should help the company in its efforts to bring this technology to the world. We expect to see exciting things in the near future!