Relax, Your Car Will Soon Be Safe From Revenge-Driven Extortionist Hackers

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Apparently, it’s Technology Tuesday here at TTAC, so we can bring you news of a device that will kick your deeply held fears to the curb.

Vehicle hacking has been an issue ever since a Jeep Cherokee had its steering, transmission and brakes commandeered last summer, and an Israeli firm is now offering protection against keyboard warriors, according to CNBC (via Business Insider).

Karamba Security unveiled a security system designed for connected vehicles last week, promising a wall of defense against malevolent malware enthusiasts. The system shuts down any code that wasn’t written by the automaker’s tech team, preventing outsiders from hijacking a vehicle’s operating systems.

Infotainment and GPS systems are the keyhole that hackers wriggle through to get at the systems that affect driveability, so this is where Karamba’s firewall would sit. To get its technology into vehicles, Karamba would have to form a partnership with the manufacturers who provide the systems to automakers.

There’s plenty of competition from larger security players in this emerging field, but the speed at which vehicles are becoming connected is increasing, making it a race for Karamba and others to stay ahead of the hacker’s game. Autonomous systems are being put in charge of ever more vehicle functions, providing new doors for hackers to walk through.

It’s not hard to imagine the havoc that could be caused by a vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system suddenly activating on a highway, or the fancy doors of the upcoming Lincoln Continental failing to unlock on a hot day. And self-driving cars … well, that could turn into Speed 3 in a hurry.

Frankly, if Hollywood scriptwriters aren’t getting inspiration from some of these ideas, they’re even dumber than people assume.

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Tonycd Tonycd on Apr 12, 2016

    If this story makes you chuckle, run a quickie search on "Michael Hastings Mercedes" and that smirk will get wiped off your face in a hurry.

  • Brandloyalty Brandloyalty on Apr 12, 2016

    I wonder if this hacking concern is blown out of proportion. My Escape Hybrid has two data buses. One is high-speed and includes all the vehicle operation systems mentioned as being vulnerable. The medium or low-speed bus includes pedestrian stuff like the sound system. So far as I know, you can't access the high-speed bus from the other one. I also have no idea how common it is for cars to have two separate data buses.

  • Ajla If I was Ford I would just troll Stellantis at all times.
  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.
  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
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