Hackers Built My Hotrod
Recently, researchers determined it was possible to get into the computer system inside of an automobile and tamper with the functioning of the car's internal computer. And yes, there's potential there for messing with the braking system.
As of right now, these kinds of attacks against a car require that attacker to be inside of the automobile. What that means, for now, is that we're perfectly safe driving around in our cars, but you probably shouldn't pick up Johnny Lee Miller if you see him hitchhiking with a laptop in hand. But it's likely that over the next decade components in cars will come to rely more and more on technologies that are wireless. And it's not inconceivable that at some eventuality, the wrong kind of person might be able to crack into a car's computer while it's in motion.
As it stands right now, this will probably never be a big issue for most people, simply because the incentives are not there. I've done much more than the average person does in securing their home computer, but I know that's not enough. I know that there are really smart, really nefarious attackers out there who could easily break into my home computer and steal personal information from me. The reason they're not trying is because I'm not that interesting of a target.
Security is not so much about erecting an impenetrable steel wall around you, but a balancing act between what security measures you take and how probabilistic outside threats are. You could buy more homeowner's insurance, but past a certain point, it's not worth it.
Someday, though, I'm sure our cars will have our credit cards on file so that cities and states can charge us for speeding and parking tickets right away. That gives people a reason to break in. It'll be interesting to see how the auto manufacturers handle these kinds of potential threats...provided, of course, they choose to handle them at all.
As of right now, these kinds of attacks against a car require that attacker to be inside of the automobile. What that means, for now, is that we're perfectly safe driving around in our cars, but you probably shouldn't pick up Johnny Lee Miller if you see him hitchhiking with a laptop in hand. But it's likely that over the next decade components in cars will come to rely more and more on technologies that are wireless. And it's not inconceivable that at some eventuality, the wrong kind of person might be able to crack into a car's computer while it's in motion.
As it stands right now, this will probably never be a big issue for most people, simply because the incentives are not there. I've done much more than the average person does in securing their home computer, but I know that's not enough. I know that there are really smart, really nefarious attackers out there who could easily break into my home computer and steal personal information from me. The reason they're not trying is because I'm not that interesting of a target.
Security is not so much about erecting an impenetrable steel wall around you, but a balancing act between what security measures you take and how probabilistic outside threats are. You could buy more homeowner's insurance, but past a certain point, it's not worth it.
Someday, though, I'm sure our cars will have our credit cards on file so that cities and states can charge us for speeding and parking tickets right away. That gives people a reason to break in. It'll be interesting to see how the auto manufacturers handle these kinds of potential threats...provided, of course, they choose to handle them at all.