Antivirus For Your Car!

tech_carHackers may be able to take control of your vehicle while you are driving it.

You are riding along in your automobile…that’s right about where the famous Chuck Berry song stops, and things get quite sinister.

Imagine your Tesla Model S vehicle locks, horn, headlights, and skylight stop responding to your commands. There is nothing wrong with your vehicle, these functions are just no longer under your control. How about your Ford Escape or Toyota Prius models brakes, steering, and acceleration also under the control of someone else, for example, a hacker?

The make and model of the vehicle isn’t the issue. As vehicles continue to evolve and become more automated, it quite literally takes the control out of our hands, and potentially into the control of someone else. Your car is becoming a computer on wheels, and one day, needing an antivirus for your car may not be as ridiculous as it sounds right now.

You will start seeing operating systems, for example, a version of the Android operating system for your vehicle, Android Auto, steadily take control over more and more functions of your car.

It doesn’t have to be a critical control issue like steering or brakes, what if just the heater or A/C were controlled electronically in your car by an OS. How much of an impact would that be if your windows are fogged up and you can’t defrost them, or roll down your windows for cool air if the A/C is not responding?

These are just some things to keep in mind during your next vehicle purchase.

What do YOU think?

Jacques Redmond

About Jacques Redmond

I'm an I.T. Security Professional, Technology Analyst, Consultant, & Tech Writer Protecting You From Viruses, Malware, Trojans, Hackers, and other Cyber Threats. I enjoy taking complicated subjects, and putting them in a way that's easy for everyone to understand. My site INFORMATIONWARFARE.US gives free advice to combat threats to your system.