If you use a computer, you can be hacked. Almost nothing in the computer world is safe from hacking, and if they can get into a sophisticated desktop computer, there’s no reason why a determined hacker couldn’t get into your car’s on-board computer system. Tadayoshi Kohno of the University of Washington-Seattle, and Stefan Savage, of the University of California-San Diego, were able to write a piece of software called CarShark and, using a laptop, hack into a car’s computer system. Your car, thanks to its computer systems, can be hacked, and the hackers can turn off the engine, activate the brakes, and dangerously, disable the car’s brakes remotely via the Internet.
Interestingly, the article notes that no one has ever hacked into a car for malicious purposes. PopFi readers know that’s not true, as a disgruntled employee of a car tuner hacked into over 100 cars using a remote computer system that accessed the car’s computerized brains. However, most car tuner places use their knowledge for good (to improve the car’s performance) rather than evil.
Kohno and Savage hope that by showing car makers that their systems are vulnerable, automakers will take greater care in adding security. If you want the car to have a brain like KITT from the 80’s classic TV show Knight Rider, it also needs the security protection provided by Knight Industries. A cool computer voice would also be awesome.
Image: crystoforo
Tags: hackers, computer hacking, hackers can take over cars, on-board computer systems in cars vulnerable, Tadayoshi Kohno, University of Washington-Seattle, Stefan Savage, University of California-San Diego, car security, car safety, computers on cars, CarShark
