Cargo criminals and truck thieves are getting more brazen. But they’re also getting more technologically advanced to the point they can take over and steal a truck with just a computer.
“Networks. Automation. Connectivity. The cloud. This isn’t your grandfather’s transportation system, or even you father’s,” begins an article by CCJ magazine. “The vehicles and highways may look much the same, but they’re not.”
Technology means that the possibility exists that one day sharing the road with self-driving cars and trucks, but it can also enable hackers to wreak havoc on the transportation system:
“The recent hacking of some celebrities’ personal photo streams has been big news this week, and it’s served as a good reminder to the general public of the risks of an online lifestyle. For businesses, there’s more at stake,” states CCJ.
Noting the new passenger cars and trucks today have up to 100 electronic control units which do everything from tightening seatbelts to managing the throttle, brakes and steering – with most sharing data among themselves and a few communicating with the outside world – a new study takes a look at several vehicles to assess potential risks for takeover.
While they conclude that hacking into a vehicle’s computer system isn’t easy, the authors of the study say it’s quite possible. In fact, they’ve done it. They hacked into a Ford Escape and a Toyota Prius, taking control of the vehicles with just a laptop plugged into a standard data port under the dash.
“If you have a vulnerability in your internet browser, someone may hack your computer and steal your credit card number,” author Chris Valasek tells Spectrum, the magazine of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. “But if they hack into your car, while it seems it’s much more difficult, the circumstances could be them wrecking your car or tracking wherever you drive.”
That’s not all, points out CCJ:
On a related and somewhat lighter note, this presentation from DefCon 22 last month details a hacker’s exploration of his Volkswagen’s firmware, and discovers an array of possibilities within hidden media menus and company information. But the punch line is the hacker “bricked” his car, or made it inoperable. And it took three months to fix.
Also, another hacker demonstrated how to access common traffic control systems.
These (kinds) of attacks aren’t just possible, they are happening, states CCJ.
Read the full article here: http://www.ccjdigital.com/smarter-than-a-supermodel-what-you-dont-know-about-hi-tech-will-hurt-you/