Controlling Cyber Security Breaches for Autonomous Vehicles
Sen. Edward Markey (D–Mass.) wrote to 16 major Automobile manufactures inquiring about their cyber security measures. Sobering findings from his inquiry include: Nearly 100% of cars on the market include wireless technologies that could pose vulnerabilities to hacking or privacy intrusions; Most automobile manufacturers were unaware of or unable to report on past hacking incidents
There is the celebrated case of a Cherokee Jeep being hacked remotely over a distance of 10 miles during 2015. The remote hackers gained control of the transmission, radio, windshield wipers and A/C.
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute physically hacked a truck and school bus. It is only a question of time until remote hacking occurs for these vehicles.
With the advent of autonomous vehicles, there will be many more points of entry to facilitate remote hacking. That could lead to hijacking expensive cargo and terrorist threats from state actors (e.g., North Koreans).
- Truck drivers: What level of cyber protection do you require?
- Insurance companies: Same question
- Lawyers: Same question
Pictured: A Ford Taurus, the same model that Dr. Everson transformed into a high fidelity mathematical model for computer simulation of a crash warning system to avoid roadway departure accidents. Program was awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.