Can Sophisticated Vehicle Engineering Compromise Security?

In addition to assisting with navigation, in-vehicle multi-media devices allow occupants to access contact information, music, the Internet, and applications stored on their smart phones. Sync, the product of Ford Motor Company and Microsoft collaboration, is an example. When operated via voice command, the system is even capable of typing and sending text messages. Combine these stored conversations with the bank and email accounts people often check through mobile applications and one can see the extent of personal information such systems process—making them quite appealing to hackers.

The threat, however, extends beyond the scope of identity theft to the possibility of physical harm, as computers increasingly control major vehicle components. Last year, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, demonstrated that they could hack into the internal computers of vehicles and control the engines and brakes. Moreover, researchers at the University of Washington were not only able to operate or disable the brakes but also to tamper with the computer’s source code, reported msnbc.com. Recently, attorneys for plaintiffs who suffered personal injury or lost loved ones in accidents involving the sudden unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles subpoenaed source code to investigate whether there was a problem with electronic throttle-control systems.

Fortunately, the studies prompted automakers to research methods of securing vehicles’ internal computer systems. While they develop the technology to protect the engine and other essential parts, hardware firewalls and other security features are being introduced to the market for in-vehicle multi-media devices, including for Ford’s Sync. Hopefully such efforts will allow the auto industry to circumvent the types of security breaches that have become all too familiar to the owners of personal computers and sophisticated phones.

By: Larry Drexel

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Larry Drexel is a Public Relations manager. To obtain free, informative books or articles he suggests visiting California personal injury lawyer.