Cars are giant computers, and
unfortunately, those computers can be hacked. In the 1990s, the cars being
built were basically a closed box, so the computers were safe. But today, car’s
computers are hooked up to the internet and the computers are much more complex
than they used to be. CNN Money reports that “The space ship that put humans on
the moon, Apollo 11, had 145,000 lines of computer code. The Android operating
system has 12 million. A modern car? Easily 100 million lines of code” (CNN
Money). With this much complexity, it is no surprise that there is room for
error. Not only can hackers now hack into your car’s internal computer and
tamper with brakes or steering, malicious apps can be downloaded through your
car’s “infotainment” system (dashboard with tablet functionality). Car
manufacturers are beginning to notice these problems, and are in the process of
building firewalls and security chips for computer protection. All auto-makers
are moving toward Internet-connected cars, and manufacturers will not separate
the core controls from the car’s wireless communication hub due to federal
regulations. Federal regulators will soon demand that cars automatically relay
information wirelessly to one another as part of the United States government’s
vehicle-to-vehicle
communication program. These car-to-car messages will one day be able to
engage brakes, which can be life-saving, but also will allow hackers to tamper
with steering wheels and navigation. To read the full article from CNN Money,
click here.
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