IBM Security announced on Monday that the services provided by its X-Force Red penetration testing group have been expanded to include connected vehicles and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

IBM X-Force Red, which the company launched one year ago, has been working with automotive manufacturers and third-party suppliers to provide expertise and penetration testing and consulting services.

Researchers will also apply some of the findings from research disclosed earlier this year into the risks associated with purchasing used connected cars. They showed that insecure transfer of ownership can allow the previous owner to unlock the car, start it remotely and track its location.

Experts, both independent and ones representing security firms, demonstrated on several occasions in the past years that cars can be hacked, and the risk of a cyberattack will only increase as the number of connected vehicles is expected to reach a quarter billion by 2020.

IBM’s X-Force Red team aims to help customers in the automotive industry secure hardware, software, networks and human interactions.

As for IoT testing, the service will leverage IBM’s Watson IoT platform, a cognitive system that allows organizations to easily connect and manage their IoT devices. The product has built-in security controls and IoT threat intelligence capabilities that help organizations visualize risks and develop efficient incident response through policy-driven automations.

IBM customers using the Watson IoT platform can get help from the X-Force Red team in ensuring that their products are secure from development to deployment.

“It’s not just about the technology, it is also about the global reach, investment, and collaborative approach which make IBM a trusted IoT partner for enterprise IoT solutions,” said James Murphy, Offering Manager, IBM Watson IoT Platform. “With IoT technologies permeating the farthest corners of industry, IBM is bringing our Watson IoT Platform and X-Force Red security talent together to address present and future concerns.”

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Eduard Kovacs is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.

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