Cybersecurity of the connected car; a worldwide problem

2020 is set to be a watershed date in implementation of the totally connected car, the moment at which self-driving cars will be running on our roads. Automated driving cuts out human error, reduces the accident rate and makes life easier for passengers. As well as many advantages, however, this change also comes beset with many challenges that are now beginning to be a headache both for carmakers and users.

One of the main barriers to development of vehicles of this type is the existence of cybercriminals who might tamper with autonomous cars and even take them over completely. Carmakers are therefore having to set up protection against unauthorized external access and forestall hacker empowerment.

In the 4^th VLCSOFTING conference, organized by the IT Technology Institute (Instituto Tecnológico de Informática: ITI) Carlos Sahuquillo, Security Consultant of GMV’s Secure e-Solutions sector, gave a paper explaining the vulnerabilities that have come to light in connected cars and the main hacking entry-points. His lecture focused on the Car Hacking concept and explained how car security components still outweigh any technological vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity of the autonomous car is a worrying problem and threat at worldwide level. There have already been cases of people who have been capable of taking over remote control of a vehicle fitted with connectivity systems. Risks range from theft of passwords, remote door-opening and -closing, car tracking to physical control of the vehicle. Indeed, several vehicles now on the market suffer from vulnerabilities. Some months ago, for example, news broke of the theft of high-range cars with smart keys that open and shut the car merely by approaching it without any need to press buttons or insert the key. The trouble is that anyone capable of emitting the same frequency as the key would be able to open the car easily too.

Such vulnerabilities pose a huge problem for carmakers and call for a big effort to solve them properly, offering clients a joined-up cybersecurity strategy that guarantees a totally secure vehicle ready to fend off any future cyberattacks.