Google Cloud and Auto-ISAC Unite to Defend Connected Vehicles

Google Cloud joins Auto-ISAC as Innovator Partner, bringing AI threat intelligence to defend North America's connected vehicle ecosystem

10 Mar 2026

Cybersecurity in the automotive world just gained a heavyweight ally. On January 6, 2026, Google Cloud joined the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center as an Innovator Partner, bringing its large-scale threat intelligence capabilities directly into the network that protects North America’s connected vehicles.

Auto-ISAC operates as the industry’s information-sharing backbone. The organization links more than 70 global automakers and suppliers and represents 99% of light-duty vehicles on North American roads. By joining the group, Google Cloud gives members access to Mandiant’s threat intelligence insights, tools widely used by governments and major corporations to track and disrupt advanced cyberattacks.

The timing reflects a growing threat landscape. Ransomware attacks aimed at connected vehicles and smart mobility systems surged in 2025 as hackers increasingly targeted cloud platforms, vehicle APIs, and over-the-air software delivery pipelines. Modern vehicles now function more like rolling computers, and the traditional methods used to protect them are struggling to keep pace.

To address that gap, Google Cloud is deploying specialists across IT, operational technology, supply chain security, and product security to work directly with Auto-ISAC members. The effort also ties into Google’s broader commitment to invest $10 billion over five years in cybersecurity across critical industries. That initiative has already supported collaboration with sectors such as energy, healthcare, and finance.

Industry leaders see the partnership as a step toward a more coordinated defense. Nick Godfrey, senior director and global head of the Office of the CISO at Google Cloud, said combining Google’s intelligence with the industry’s shared expertise can help protect everything from component suppliers to the vehicles themselves. Auto-ISAC executive director Faye Francy noted that Google’s AI and scalable infrastructure could strengthen how members detect and respond to threats.

The alliance arrives as Auto-ISAC expands its scope to include heavy trucking and commercial vehicles. At the same time, federal regulators are tightening expectations around vehicle cybersecurity ahead of new supply chain restrictions affecting model year 2027 vehicles. For an industry racing toward software-defined transportation, collective defense is quickly becoming the price of staying on the road.