We all know hackers wreak havoc on computers. While extremely frustrating, a hacked computer usually doesn’t pose a physical danger to the user. That could soon change.
Hackers now have a new target for their nefarious deeds that can place people in the way of real harm: Automotive onboard computers.
Technology has advanced over the last 20 years at astounding rates and high-tech vehicles are part of that trend. Digital technology is included in all late-model vehicles these days.
It’s a scary thought that a hacker could take control over your vehicle. What could happen? Your horn could sound a continuous blast for example and distract a driver, which could prove fatal.
Hackers could also target your braking system, turning a normal drive into a nightmare. While it’s true onboard computer circuitry and software provides convenience and a higher automotive performance, it also puts drivers at a greater risk of a hacker’s attack. A cyber criminal now has the ability to control a car by making it honk, turn the wheel, or drive in reverse.
If it sounds a bit farfetched, consider this: Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek teamed up to create a automobile hacking program that demonstrates just how easy it is to hijack control over these high-tech modern vehicles.
“Imagine you’re driving down a highway at 80,” Valasek says. A driver could suddenly be forced into oncoming traffic with devastating results, he says.
The two researchers and testers hope their software will help improve vehicular security before a malicious hacker kills an innocent driver who is unaware of the impending danger.
The two researchers recently demonstrated just how easy it is to gain control of a Prius by physically plugging into the car. But the spectre of hackers remotely accessing controls of a speeding vehicle poses an even more frightening spectre.
Bluetooth bugs and even a malicious audio file in the stereo system could open access to ill-intentioned troublemakers.
The more intelligent cars become, the more of a target they are for hackers. Self-parking functions in Toyotas and Fords are one potential target, as well as Mercedes Benz S-Class’ automatic stop-n-go negotiation technology. These advances in electronics and onboard intelligence give a whole twist to the term “cruise control.”