U.S. to monitor cybersecurity risks as car connectivity grows


WASHINGTON (Bloomberg) --
Rising cybersecurity risks to drivers as their cars become increasingly powered by and connected to computers have prompted federal auto-safety regulators to start a new office focusing on the threat.

"These interconnected electronics systems are creating opportunities to improve vehicle safety and reliability, but are also creating new and different safety and cybersecurity risks," David Strickland, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said in testimony prepared for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today.

A new office within the agency to research vehicle-electronics safety will look at risks to the systems within cars and those that communicate with other vehicles.

NHTSA is conducting a pilot project in Ann Arbor, Mich., of so-called talking-car technology intended to prevent crashes.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said while he's excited about safety improvements through technology, he's concerned about new risks including cybersecurity.

"As our cars become more connected -- to the Internet, to wireless networks, with each other, and with our infrastructure -- are they at risk of catastrophic cyberattacks?" Rockefeller asked in his opening statement prepared for the hearing.

NHTSA, part of the U.S. Transportation Department, was criticized by Congress and safety advocates in 2010 for lacking expertise in automotive electronics during hearings about Toyota Motor Corp.'s unintended-acceleration recalls.

No electronic cause was found for the incidents after the agency asked NASA and the National Academy of Sciences for help with the probe.

Cars are increasingly controlled electronically rather than mechanically, from acceleration and starting to rolling down the windows.

Infotainment systems connect drivers to satellite and wireless networks.

Today's typical luxury car has more than 100 million lines of computer code, while software and electronics account for 40 percent of the car's cost and half of warranty claims, said John D. Lee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's industrial and systems engineering department.

From Autonews

 

I guess Anti-Virus malware-software and firewall is next for Auto's?

 

Also..RE: Radar Braking Systems

In an effort to hasten the adoption of such technologies, NHTSA ordered automakers to outfit all cars with electronic stability control starting in the 2011 model year.

A similar mandate for automatic braking could be next. Strickland told reporters after the hearing that NHTSA could end up ordering the use of automatic braking or merely recommend it through the federal government's New Car Assessment Program.

 

I don't know about the AV software, but a firewall may be a good idea once ODB III is implemented.

 

cars are getting too electronically controlled in some aspects.... the idea is to get rid of distractions in the cabin with fancy electronics/touch screens/etc and make the driver pay more attention to driving. #1 of course being phones of course (not something the auto manufacturers can control of course). also electronic intervention is a good idea with some things (traction and stability control, reverse proximity systems, abs, etc)

However things that intervene entirely and allow the driver to not be as aware on the highway are simply asking for trouble, one driver not paying any attention expecting all the safety features to kick in causes a huge pile up on the highway with many injured or killed because the "safely" features failed/malfunctioned.... i dunno, thats my opinion on things

 

I've been thinking about this since On* first showed up...

It would be movie villain level of silliness to accomplish anything coordinated on a large scale but for assassinations that look like accidents...

 

Ford/GM/Bosch USA-Germany just updated OBD2 with all new VCI testers for all Dealers late last year (needed for MY2014 cars) and Mazda did the same from February 2013, there is nothing in the foreseeable future about OBD3.

Been talked about for the past 10 years I just cant see the US motorist accepting OBD3 in it's full guise...maybe a heavily edited version, but then why bother?.

Latest OBD2 hardware and software can do all the new CAN systems and all the lasted safety and radar systems currently out.

Apart from Government and Car Manufacturers snooping I cant see this addition cost as being necessary...yet...maybe in another 10 years.

 

See Bold Part
The US motorist (everybody) may not have a choice with the right/wrong government in charge. It could be forced on the population much as how other regulation has.
And, that's as far as we go in that direction (RX8Club Rules).

 

Could...

 

The servers that control the cameras on traffic lights are unsecure if you know the MAC address you're in.

I was wondering security now that cars are having wi-fi connections etc. someone needs to make some software that will have anti-virus abilities and firewall protection (if needed) not sure how the infrastructure works on those systems but I'm sure some script kiddies will start working on some funky algorithms and making dumb viruses and next thing you know your car doesn't work or some other weird stuff who knows.

As many things that could be controlled it would be pretty bad to lose your ABS do to a virus and locking the brakes up when you just meant to slow down a little bit etc.

The more they implement internet connections with cars the more likely it will be this could happen.

Someone is going to make a fortune making that software
Norton anti-virus Mazda edition.

 

What really needs to be done is to start loading smart computer AI into the auto's of tomorrow. You could have an AI, like "Computer" from Star Trek, "KITT" from Knight Rider, or "HAL 9000" from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

When you get too close to the car in front of you, KITT advises you that you should leave more room between you and it. You need to program your navigation system to get to the nearest florist because Computer just reminded you that today is your wedding anniversary? Computer can do that for you, while your eyes stay on the road the whole time.

And does the FBI need to terminate your life without raising any suspicions?
HAL can redirect your exhaust into the cabin, and put you to sleep, and the EPS system will allow him to guide the car into the nearest train crossing, just as the high speed freight train goes through town.

Sounds good to me, this coming future of ours.

BC.