New cars vulnerable to hacks that could leave thousands dead

LOS ANGELES: A consumer advocacy group has warned that automakers are rolling out new vehicles increasingly vulnerable to hackers, which could result in thousands of deaths in the event of a mass cyberattack. In a new report entitled “Kill Switch: Why Connected Cars Can Be Killing Machines And How To Turn Them Off,” Los Angeles-based Consumer Watchdog said cars connected to the internet are quickly becoming the norm but constitute a national security threat. “The troubling issue for industry technologies is that these vehicles´ safety-critical systems are being linked to the internet without adequate security and with no way to disconnect them in the event of a fleet-wide hack,” the report said. It said industry executives were aware of the risk but were nonetheless pushing ahead in deploying the technology in new vehicles, putting corporate profit ahead of safety. The report was based on a five-month study with the help of more than 20 whistleblowers from within the car industry. The group of car industry technologists and experts speculated that a fleet-wide hack at rush hour could leave about 3,000 people dead.

“You can control all sorts of aspects of your car from your smartphone, including starting the engine, starting the air conditioning, checking on its location,” said one of the whistleblowers, who were not identified.