The Dangers of the Hackable Car- The unspoken fear of auto manufacturers

[Haasman]

I would have a very hard time riding in a "driverless" car, but especially knowing todays cars are easily hacked.


The Dangers of the Hackable Car

As cars go increasingly digital—and connected—cybersecurity experts worry that they also are becoming a lot more vulnerable

Chester Dawson<time class="date" style="margin: 0px; font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; font-size: 1em !important; display: inline !important;">Sept. 17, 2017 10:08 p.m. ET</time>

Security experts paint an alarming picture of what might lie ahead as malicious hackers access connected cars remotely through an increasing number of vulnerabilities. Photo: iStockphoto/Getty Images



ByChester Dawson


Hackers may have a new target in their sights—one that’s just as central to everyday life as computers are.
Our cars.
As vehicles fill up with more digital controls and internet-connected devices, they’re becoming more vulnerable to cybercriminals, who can hack into those systems just like they can attack computers. Almost any digitally connected device in a car could become an entry point to the vehicle’s central communications network, opening a door for hackers to potentially take control by, for instance, disabling the engine or brakes.
There have been only a handful of successful hacks on vehicles so far, carried out mostly to demonstrate potential weaknesses—such as shutting down moving a car and taking control of another’s steering. But security experts paint a grim picture of what might lie ahead. They see a growing threat from malicious hackers who access cars remotely and keep their doors locked until a ransom is paid. Cybercriminals also could steal personal and financial data that cars are starting to collect about owners.
Or they might get even more ambitious. Some experts warn of a day when millions of fully internet-connected vehicles will be at risk of being hijacked remotely. A mass hack could be catastrophic for the self-driving cars of the future, especially if those cars don’t have steering wheels or other backup systems to let drivers take manual control.
Now the auto industry and lawmakers are rushing to meet these threats. Congress is proposing new standards that car companies must meet to guard against cyberattacks. Car makers are beefing up their software to make their vehicles tougher to hack, as well as reaching out to benevolent hackers to help them identify potential security flaws.
While there are disagreements among manufacturers and security experts about the exact magnitude of the possible threats, there is a widespread consensus that action is needed immediately to minimize risks.
Cyberintrusions have given auto makers a “wake-up call” over the past five years, says Phil Jansen, Fiat Chrysler ’s vice president for North American product development. “It has caused us to rethink how we set up architectures” for vehicle electronics.
The new vulnerability comes as auto makers are increasingly using software to control features and functions that have long been dominated by hardware, such as braking, gear shifting and throttle control. It represents a seminal break from the mechanical hydraulic systems of the recent past, one that began with the introduction of electronically controlled fuel injection in the late 1960s.
“Software is rapidly replacing hardware,” says Colin Bird, a senior automotive industry analyst at IHS Markit Ltd. “More than 50% of a car’s value today is defined by software, and that is continuing to increase.”
The digital features go far beyond rudimentary diagnostic monitoring systems standard in most cars on the road. Newer cars have modems enabling internet connectivity; today, these are used mostly used for entertainment, but they are fast evolving into portals for software upgrades of critical systems and for sending data to cloud-computing networks.
Even older models can be retrofitted with Wi-Fi routers and Bluetooth modules that create wireless networks in and around a car, enabling drivers to do things like answer phones hands-free, determine how many miles are left in the tank before the next refill and stream videos to the children in back seats.



Article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-dangers-of-the-hackable-car-1505700481

[davep]

Definitely a big concern of mine as related to the newest vehicles. Makes me want to be very selective when purchasing a new vehicle. Going forward, we will very likely have to purchase an electric vehicle.