It is certainly true that our cars are become rolling computers, complete with an arsenal of sensors and networking technologies, and the rise of the Internet of Things means almost everything we own or come into contact with will possess networking capabilities. Despite the exaggerated and sometimes silly nature of techno-panic reports like these, they reflect many people’s real and understandable concerns about new technologies.īut the problem with these reports is that they embody a “panic-first” approach to digital security and privacy issues. Much of the report is similarly panicky and sometimes humorous (complaint #3: “many manufacturers did not seem to understand the questions posed by Senator Markey.”) The report concludes that the “alarmingly inconsistent and incomplete state of industry security and privacy practice,” warrants recommendations that federal regulators - led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - “promulgate new standards that will protect the data, security and privacy of drivers in the modern age of increasingly connected vehicles.” Take a Deep BreathĪs we face an uncertain future full of rapidly-evolving technologies, it’s only natural that some might feel a little anxiety about how these new machines and devices operate. Because these features “could pose vulnerabilities,” they are listed as a threat-one that lurks in nearly 100% of the cars on the market, at that. For instance, we are warned that “Nearly 100% of cars on the market include wireless technologies that could pose vulnerabilities to hacking or privacy intrusions.” Nearly 100%? We’re practically naked out there! But digging through the report, we learn that the basis for this claim is that most of the 16 manufacturers surveyed responded that 100% of their vehicles are equipped with wireless entry points (WEPs)-like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, navigation, and anti-theft features. On the surface, the findings appear grim. The careful setup, editing, and Lesley Stahl’s squeals made for convincing theater. Never mind that we are told that the “hackers” who “hacked” into this car had been directly working on its systems for years-a luxury scarcely available to the shadowy malicious hackers about whom DARPA Dan and his team so hoped to frighten us. ![]() A “hacker” on DARPA Dan’s team proceeded to torment poor Lesley with automatic windshield wiping, rude and random beeps, and other hijinks. DARPA Dan and his multiple research teams have been hard at work remotely programming this vehicle for years. This segues to a humorous segment wherein Stahl takes a networked car for a spin. “So if somebody got into my refrigerator,” she ventures, “through the internet, then they would be able to get into everything, right?” Replies DARPA Dan, “Yeah, that’s the fear.” Prankish hackers could make your milk go bad, or hack into your garage door opener, or even your car. Connected homes could be hacked and taken over.”Ħ0 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl, for her part, is aghast. ![]() On 60 Minutes, we meet former game developer turned Department of Defense “cyber warrior” Dan (“call me DARPA Dan”) Kaufman–and learn his fears of the future: “Today, all the devices that are on the Internet the ‘Internet of Things’ are fundamentally insecure. Employing more than a bit of techno-panic flare, these reports basically suggest that we’re all doomed. Markey (D-Mass) called Tracking & Hacking: Security & Privacy Gaps Put American Drivers at Risk, which focused on connected car security and privacy issues. ![]() It was followed yesterday morning by the release of a new report from the office of Senator Edward J. On Sunday night, 60 Minutes aired a feature with the ominous title, “ Nobody’s Safe on the Internet,” that focused on connected car hacking and Internet of Things (IoT) device security.
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