Car hacking has been a big topic in the automotive world in recent years. Foley & Lardner previously addressed this issue and security breaches in blog posts and a white paper entitled “Taking Control of Cybersecurity: A Practical Guide for Officers and Directors.” Following on the heels of Senator Ed Markey’s report released in February, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters on Thursday to NHTSA and various auto manufacturers regarding cybersecurity. The letters seek answers to questions about internal procedures and interactions with outside researchers regarding cybersecurity, among other things.

Other entities have also focused on potential car hacking recently. Consumer Reports called on its members this week to contact Congress requesting legislation on automotive computer security. The University of Virginia and cybersecurity company Mission Secure Inc. also announced they are researching the potential effects of car hacking through testing on computer systems used by the Virginia State Police.

Some analysts question whether such concerns are overblown. However, regardless of whether the concerns are more hype than a real threat to consumers, the issues and congressional scrutiny surrounding car hacking are not going away.