Imagine driving down a highway. Your brakes lock. Your steering wheel locks. Your speed increases, but not of your own power. Your car, not you, makes an aggressive turns and slams into another car going 80 mph. Your accident causes miles of back up. You, your family, and the passengers your car hit need the jaws of life to get out. All of you are fortunate to be alive.
Sounds like a cool TV episode, right? It isn’t. According to the FBI, this threat is real and it’s on the rise. This threat is called vehicular cyber-sabotage. ?This?PSA was put up by the FBI and backed by Dept. of Transportation and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) warning drivers of cyber hacking to vehicles in motion. It talks about car sabotage and offers ways to keep your car safe. Such advice includes keeping your auto software up to date with the latest software editions. Avoid any unauthorized changes to your car’s software. Be weary about putting insecure gadgets in your car’s network. Take any vehicular recalls seriously, especially if your model is the one being recalled. Be vary weary of letting strangers control your vehicle. Would you let a stranger get too close to your computer information, bank account, or child? Take that same vigilance with your vehicle. If you feel your vehicle has been hacked, call the FBI or local law enforcement agency immediately.
Why would hackers go after cars? Some could argue it’s just another way for them to get money and/or your personal information. But they can hack a computer or smart device for that. Something way more sinister is going on. The only reason I can think of to cause vehicular cyber-sabotage is to either deliberately hurt or kill the driver and/or passengers, or to show utter contempt and hatred for society. That’s what makes vehicular cyber-sabotage so disturbing and so sick. What can be done about it?