RunSafe CEO to address U.S. connected vehicle rule at Detroit cybersecurity summit

RunSafe Security Founder and CEO Joseph M. Saunders will speak at the Automotive Cybersecurity Summit 2026 in Detroit on July 29-30 about the Bureau of Industry and Security's Connected Vehicle Rule. The session comes as automakers and suppliers face new federal compliance requirements for software provenance, SBOMs and supply-chain security.

Why it matters: - Automakers and suppliers are under pressure to prove where vehicle software comes from as federal connected-vehicle rules tighten. - The issue affects model-year production lines, software-defined vehicles and the broader Detroit automotive supply chain. - Consumer concern is already high: a 2025 Connected Car Cyber Safety & Security Index found 65% of drivers believe remote hacking of a vehicle is possible, and 77% see third-party components as a severe cyber risk.

What happened: - Joseph M. Saunders, founder and CEO of RunSafe Security, will lead a solo keynote at the Automotive Cybersecurity Summit 2026. - The session is titled "Meeting U.S. Connected Vehicle Rule Origin Requirements." - The summit runs July 29-30, 2026, at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Detroit Downtown - Fort Shelby, 525 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, Michigan 48226. - The audience includes automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, security engineers and transportation policy experts.

The details: - Saunders will focus on the Bureau of Industry and Security's Connected Vehicle Rule. - The presentation will cover how OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can navigate software origin restrictions and move from one-time compliance checks to continuous lifecycle compliance. - RunSafe says it helps protect vehicle software with patented memory relocation techniques that harden embedded systems against runtime exploits without requiring code rewrites. - RunSafe also provides build-time SBOMs that record which source files, libraries and toolchains contributed to software output while that information is still visible. - The company says build-time SBOMs can capture components that binary analysis and standard scanning miss. - RunSafe says many software composition tools are strong at identifying open-source packages but have limited visibility into proprietary or commercial components. - The company argues build-time timing matters in automotive software because static linking and aggressive optimization can remove identifying signals. - Saunders will discuss technical methods to map code provenance quickly, generate compliance-ready SBOMs and remove foreign-adversary-linked components from multi-tier supply chains. - RunSafe says these capabilities align with Secure by Design automotive engineering.

Between the lines: - The keynote suggests compliance is shifting from a paperwork exercise to an engineering and supply-chain problem. - That shift raises the bar for suppliers that rely on legacy code, opaque component sourcing or late-stage verification. - Detroit is a fitting venue because the rules affect the region's core manufacturing base and its network of vendors. - RunSafe is positioning its product set as a compliance enabler as much as a security tool.

What's next: - Saunders will be available for one-on-one interviews, technical briefings and on-camera commentary during the summit. - Press credentials can be coordinated through Kari Ritacco at RedIron PR, +1 703-928-9996. - The session may draw added attention to how automakers document software origin and prepare for BIS enforcement expectations. - RunSafe expects the discussion to carry local and global economic implications for the automotive sector.