
Originally Posted by
lumina ss
The possibility of this even stranger and more dangerous crime is lurking on the horizon. Most modern cars use computers to control everything from engine compression to cruise control, airbags and brakes. Those computers communicate with each other on open networks. Using an $80,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), two researchers recently hacked the onboard computers of a Toyota Prius and a Ford Escape SUV.
They made the Prius accelerate and brake, as well as jerk the wheel while traveling at high speeds. They managed to turn the Ford's steering wheel at low speeds and disable the brakes, which caused researcher Charlie Miller to drive the SUV into his garage and totally destroy his own lawnmower. This is the stuff of nightmares.
It took some enterprising thieves just two years to convert research from a few highly sophisticated Swiss scientists into a handheld device they can use to prowl the streets of Chicago and pop the locks of any car of interest. How long before hackers pull the same trick with a video game controller, taking full control of our cars while we're behind the wheel? Two years? Three? Then what? There are those who will do it to scare people, or possibly even kill someone. Others might use it to blackmail unsuspecting victims. Sure, they'll return control of your car, after they've propelled you down some highway or winding road at breakneck speed, and only after you've given them access to your bank account. (Go ahead and use your phone to send them the information, since you won't be using your hands to drive anyway.)
While this sounds like science fiction, the fact is the technology exists. The potential for damage is real. The time to tackle this is now. Automobile manufacturers have an opportunity to get out ahead of the next crime wave, protect consumers and show other industries how to do computer security correctly. If they fail to seize the day, they could be the recipients of press headlines far more toxic to their reputations and their bottom lines than a Labor Day weekend of price gouging at gas stations.