Report: Automakers fail to fully protect against hacking
FEBRUARY 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |
WIRE SERVICE
Print
* Industry hasn’t protected buyers against theft, senator says
WASHINGTON — Automakers are cramming cars with wireless technology, but they have failed to adequately protect those features against the real possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, a member of the U.S. Senate is asserting.
Basing his argument on information provided by manufacturers, Sen. Edward Markey has concluded that “many in the automotive industry really don’t understand what the implications are of moving to this new computer-based era” of the automobile.
The Massachusetts Democrat has asked automakers a series of questions about the technologies — and any safeguards against hackers — that may or may not have been built into the latest models of their vehicles. He also asked what protections have been provided to ensure that information computers gather and often transmit wirelessly isn’t used in a harmful or invasive manner.
Appearing Monday on “CBS This Morning,” Markey said motorists should be asking questions because “there really aren’t any clear guidelines on the books.”
Markey said the movement of the automobile from the combustion engine era to the computer era carries wide implications. “No longer do you need a crowbar to break into an automobile,” he said in the interview. “You can do it with an iPad.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/wireless-packed-cars-are-at-risk-from-hackers-1.1267919
