Look for a new word coming to our dictionaries--"Hi-Hacked." You're right. I just made it up to describe a present reality. A recent episode of Scorpion showed both the good guys and the bad guys hacking into an on-board computer to take control of an expensive RV. In an incident of real life imitating art, a recent New York Times (July 24, 2015 - New York edition, page B6) published an account of two technology researchers hacking in and taking control of a vehicle ten miles away. This was not designed to be a "driver-less vehicle."
According to the report:
"As the Jeep Cherokee barreled down a St. Louis highway at 70 miles an hour, the driver . . . was rendered helpless to control the air-conditioning fan, radio, windshield wipers and thee car digital display. The two hackers, sitting with a laptop in a basement 10 miles away, took control of them all, even cutting the engine at one point and bringing the Jeep to a stop as traffic whizzed by. Later they also cut the brakes."
The hackers weren't able to steer the car, but this car wasn't designed to be driven remotely. The hackers accessed those functions by going through the internet connection (think entertainment and phone systems). Worldwide, over 25 million vehicles have connections to the internet. That number is expected to triple within 7 years.
We've known that our bank accounts and identities were at risk. Apparently our cars are at risk, too.
This isn't a Luddite cry about doom and destruction. Automaker Fiat Chrysler has already announced a patch to plug the access point used by the hackers. But it is a reminder that life is filled with mixed blessings.
Earlier this month Abilene was blessed with over 8 inches of rainfall in one day. It was a relief that resurrected a hungry mosquito population. Okay, it did more than that. The resulting floods were destructive. Across Texas several people drowned after being washed away by the rushing waters. But our region was refreshed by the rain and some of our sources of drinking water received a very welcome infusion. Fire is both blessing and curse. Even the opposites of Yin and Yang are normally represented with light within dark and dark within light.
Post Script.
Auto manufacturers are now positioning themselves as blameless for incidents of "hi-hacking." They begin by reminding us that nobody blames the car maker when a vandal slashes a tire. In the same way, the car maker shouldn't be held responsible for damage caused by hackers. Definitely something to think about.
According to the report:
"As the Jeep Cherokee barreled down a St. Louis highway at 70 miles an hour, the driver . . . was rendered helpless to control the air-conditioning fan, radio, windshield wipers and thee car digital display. The two hackers, sitting with a laptop in a basement 10 miles away, took control of them all, even cutting the engine at one point and bringing the Jeep to a stop as traffic whizzed by. Later they also cut the brakes."
The hackers weren't able to steer the car, but this car wasn't designed to be driven remotely. The hackers accessed those functions by going through the internet connection (think entertainment and phone systems). Worldwide, over 25 million vehicles have connections to the internet. That number is expected to triple within 7 years.
We've known that our bank accounts and identities were at risk. Apparently our cars are at risk, too.
This isn't a Luddite cry about doom and destruction. Automaker Fiat Chrysler has already announced a patch to plug the access point used by the hackers. But it is a reminder that life is filled with mixed blessings.
Earlier this month Abilene was blessed with over 8 inches of rainfall in one day. It was a relief that resurrected a hungry mosquito population. Okay, it did more than that. The resulting floods were destructive. Across Texas several people drowned after being washed away by the rushing waters. But our region was refreshed by the rain and some of our sources of drinking water received a very welcome infusion. Fire is both blessing and curse. Even the opposites of Yin and Yang are normally represented with light within dark and dark within light.
Post Script.
Auto manufacturers are now positioning themselves as blameless for incidents of "hi-hacking." They begin by reminding us that nobody blames the car maker when a vandal slashes a tire. In the same way, the car maker shouldn't be held responsible for damage caused by hackers. Definitely something to think about.
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