Anti-virus software is a colossal industry; and for a good reason. Everyday hackers steal myriads of vital information losing companies and consumers' time and money alike. Anti-virus software along with other programs are continually updated in preemptive attempts to thwart future cyber attacks.
Your computer may not be you're only valuable at risk. A group of researchers from the Universities of California and Washington feel the auto industry in particular, is highly susceptible to cyber attacks. In fact, after a slew of controlled tests in which researcher attempted to cyber hack a few recently released vehicles, the findings were alarming.
Researchers who "cyber hacked" an array of vehicles found that with a little tweaking they were able to control many of the vehicles vital components. Even when the physical driver would attempt to intervene and manually gain control of the vehicle, the hackers were able to over ride the manual controls and in essence have the control of the drivers life.
Once given access to an on board diagnostic port installed for dealers to quickly access the vehicles computer, researchers were able to set up a wireless network in which they could send and receive the information needed to remotely access the vehicles. By flooding the vehicles system with packs of data, the researchers were shockingly able to map-out and manage many of the vehicles controls.
After an array of tests, researchers found that they were able to perform an assortment of tasks ranging from maintaining the volume of the radio to completely disabling the breaks at high speeds. The tests found holes in these systems highlighting the fact that there is in fact a huge potential window for cyber attacks.
The researchers found that hacking these complex vehicle computer systems was relatively easy in light of the fact that some vehicle systems can carry more complex computer code than a fighter jet. Researchers are hoping the public and media will find these results un-ignorable.
As vehicles get more and more autonomous, they naturally begin to rely more and more on their computer systems. As connectivity and the use of electronic data increases, the likelihood of hackers potentially attempting to enter vehicle systems drastically increases. With vehicles heavily relying on computer systems to function, the potential threat of a hacker becomes more and more a serious issue that could have vast detrimental consequences.
Due to the lack of efficiency in their computer systems, many auto manufactures have taken a plethora of bad media and lost a great deal of income due to the degradation in consumer trust and appeal. The fact that nearly half of all automotive warranty claims come from vehicle electronics systems already says a lot about the security and functionality of many of these vehicle computer systems. To add to the surmounting pressure of the volatility of vehicle systems, up to half the purchase cost attributed to many high end vehicles is directly accrued from purchasing these systems.
Researchers are hoping that by providing concrete evidence on how fragile these automotive computer systems actually are, the automotive industry and public alike will recognize the drastic need for IT and how it can help integrate up-to-date, safer systems. These aspirations for newer more secure systems aim is to provide increased safety, increased security, boost consumer trust and appeal, and to decrease maintenance and failure costs.
The world is constantly transforming due to the technological advances happening every day. As the world changes, industries, such as the automotive industry, must do everything possible to remain a lucrative business. Whether it is reducing emissions, meeting governmental safety regulations, or keeping your vehicles data system secure, there is always something new for the pack to chase.
Rusty Shakelford works as a freelance writer and marketer for companies like http://www.CarLocate.com, a web portal where you can conduct car research and buy a car. When he is off the clock, Rusty writes, stays up on the latest marketing innovations, and follows the latest in the automotive industry and cars.
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