As world gears-up to technology friendly era, its a lesser known fact that hi-tech cars are the ones that are least secured. As per experts the vehicle loaded with modern technology are easily prone to hacking. The report has been submitted by expert researches who have examined the security aspect and found that the vehicles have least protection measures in place.
Speaking more on modern cars, Professor Andry Rakotonirainy, from Queensland University of Technology (QUT)'s Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety (CARRS), said, “The security protection on cars is virtually non-existent, it is at a level of protection that a desktop computer system had in the 1980s, the basic security requirements such as authentication, confidentiality and integrity are not strong. What this means is that as vehicles become more and more connected and autonomous, with the ability to communicate to other vehicles and infrastructure through wireless networks, the threat of cyber attack increases putting people's safety and security at risk.”
The new age Smart car is loaded with CAN-BUS technology that is placed under the steering wheel and lets the user check the overall vehicle status and control it. Speaking more about the technology Rakotonirainy said, “This CAN-BUS allows all micro-controllers within a car to communicate to each other and is accessible via a mere plug. It can be used to control almost everything such as the airbags, brakes, cruise control and power steering systems. CAN-BUS can be accessed locally or remotely with simple devices. This is just the tip of the iceberg as future cars will feature a tremendous mix of wireless networks and offer numerous opportunities to improve safety, entertainment and comfort.”
The technology also wirelessly connects to other vehicles. When the vehicle ahead stops, the device issues warning to drivers following behind to slow down. In case the drive misses the warning, the device can control the vehicle on its own. Speaking about loopholes with the technology and how it could risk lives, he said, “If someone hacks into a vehicle's electronics via a wireless network and exploits the current security loophole, they can track or take control of it.”
