Car Computers And Our Relationship To Them

The news media is always telling us about the problems with home and commercial computers getting hacked into. The release of viruses and other techniques to steal our key strokes and learn more about us seems to be a daily reminder of how susceptible we are to intrusions.  But what about the computers in our cars? Are they open to assault from someone wanting to disable us on the road and is it always a hacking issue?First, we have to understand that car computers do more then they did even a couple of years ago. Automobile manufacturers have developed systems that “interface” with everything from climate control to brake systems. These same vehicles have to have diagnostics completed, instead of simple tune-ups when they go in for their 3,000 megabit…err mile…check-up. The computer connections made are with one computer in your car connecting with another at the service center. This opens up a new avenue of information being passed back and forth.Then there are connections when considering car systems have hook-ups related to driving, Electronic Throttle for instance, that opens up a network correspondence. Does this all mean something sinister? Scientists from universities in California and Washington did a study a couple of years ago that stated, “…they were able to remotely control braking and other functions in the cars they used in their tests, and argue that the car industry is at risk of making the same security mistakes as the PC industry.” It would seem that opportunity does exist for culprits to initiate hacking into today’s cars.Another point to be mindful of is that car computers involve software. Sometimes a glitch can cause an issue that may be as simple as “rebooting” the system involved. The computer companies that work with Ford, GM and the other auto makers are constantly at work to upgrade the software to keep the problem from re-occurring.On the upside to this situation is that a vehicle moving along is harder to be hit then a sitting vehicle. The links that exist for handling throttle operations, and other systems, are working on the idea that constant communication will maintain a constant sync. That is harder to control then a home PC or laptop. This whole idea of connectivity from an outside source is called telematics (to be looked at in depth in a later post). Onstar, and other constants that focus on some aspect of the driving condition, is an example of telematics. There are many levels involved the working operations of telematics; from the point of origin to the aspect of the vehicle being monitored and handled. That hierarchy of involvement means that many safety considerations are constantly at play to limit interference for car safety and operation.

Technology is in everything we do. With all of this comes the possibility of something, or someone, trying to disrupt the technology. But it should not stop us from moving forward and simply realize there are people striving to lessen the negative considerations of our driving experience.