RunSafe CEO to brief automakers on U.S. connected vehicle rule at Detroit summit

RunSafe Security Founder and CEO Joseph M. Saunders will speak at the Automotive Cybersecurity Summit 2026 in Detroit on July 29-30 about compliance with the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Connected Vehicle Rule. The session comes as OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers face new software-origin requirements and pressure to manage cybersecurity across increasingly complex vehicle software stacks.

Why it matters: - Automakers and suppliers are under new pressure to prove where vehicle software comes from and remove high-risk components from connected vehicles. - Consumer concerns are high: 65% of drivers in the 2025 Connected Car Cyber Safety & Security Index said remote hacking of a vehicle is possible, and 77% identified third-party components as a severe cyber risk. - RunSafe says its approach is aimed at Secure by Design automotive engineering, which is becoming more important as software-defined vehicles add complexity.

What happened: - RunSafe Security said Founder and CEO Joseph M. Saunders will lead a solo keynote at the Automotive Cybersecurity Summit 2026. - The session is titled "Meeting U.S. Connected Vehicle Rule Origin Requirements." - The event runs July 29-30, 2026, at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Detroit Downtown - Fort Shelby in Detroit. - The summit audience includes automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, security engineers and transportation policy experts.

The details: - Saunders will address the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Connected Vehicle Rule. - The talk will focus on how OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can respond to new international software origin restrictions. - RunSafe said the session will cover ways to map code provenance quickly, generate automated compliance-ready Software Bills of Materials and remove foreign-adversary-linked components from multi-tier supply chains. - RunSafe said its memory relocation technology protects embedded systems from runtime exploits without requiring code rewrites. - RunSafe also said build-time SBOMs can capture components that binary analysis and scanning may miss. - The company said many software composition analysis tools are better at detecting open-source packages than proprietary or commercial components. - The company said build-time SBOMs record source files, libraries and toolchains during the build, before optimization and static linking obscure identifying details. - Media interviews with Saunders will be available on request, including technical briefings and on-camera commentary about the local and global economic impact of U.S. connected vehicle rules.

Between the lines: - The keynote signals that BIS compliance is moving from a one-time documentation exercise to a continuous software-governance problem. - The emphasis on build-time SBOMs reflects a gap between traditional scanning tools and the evidence regulators are likely to want for complex automotive software. - Detroit is a fitting stage for the message because the region remains a major hub for vehicle production and supplier networks.

What's next: - Saunders is expected to use the summit to push automakers and suppliers toward earlier software provenance tracking and more automated compliance workflows. - Press credentials can be coordinated through RedIron PR contact Kari Ritacco at +1 703-928-9996.