We have previously reported on hackings of automobiles [view related posts here, here, and here]. Not only can hackings obtain information about your driving habits, your GPS usage and location, the use of your cell phone, access to your contacts, and other information, but it can be dangerous to your physical health.
A car hacking can take control of your car and turn off the lights, open the door to your vehicle and alter the steering, all of which can cause you harm.
According to security experts, most automobiles are manufactured without data security in mind, and manufacturers are just starting to incorporate data security measures into the manufacturing process. If you are in the market for a new car, check out the data security of the vehicle before you buy it for the protection of your personal information and your physical safety.
Recently, a white hack hacker observed that “Tesla is on the path to be the most secure car.” According to the security researcher, Tesla cars are some of the toughest to hack. Why? Because it uses new technology and it boasts of being a technology company first, and a car company second.
Tesla was one of the first car manufacturers to invite hackers to try to hack into its vehicles’ security, one of the first to establish a bug bounty program that allows security hackers who find serious vulnerabilities to get paid for their efforts, and actually hires hackers as employees to test the security of its manufacturing process—full time. It is reported that Tesla has 40 hackers on staff strictly devoted to finding security vulnerabilities in Tesla models during the manufacturing process.
It is the only car manufacturer to my knowledge that uses strategies employed by nation-states (hiring full time hackers to hack into U.S. government and companies’ systems) to focus on hacking into the data security vulnerabilities of its own products. Brilliant. Of course, that is what has been said about Elon Musk.
A Tesla just might be my new dream car—because of its security. Well, that and the fact that the Model S is really cool. Did I say dream car?