Some cars have something called an Electric Control Unit (ECU). This ECU system is contingent with several other devices within the vehicle, so once the hacker has access to the ECU, they can gain control of several vehicular functions. Some of these functions include windshield wipers, air conditioning, and most disconcertingly, the engine, brakes, and transmission.

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Motives
So what are the motives behind car hacking? While no one can put a finger on the single cause of car hacking, there are a few reasons why someone would want to perform an act that is this malicious. On the one hand, people can hack cars for the sake of recreation, while others can use this act as a way to wreak some serious havoc.

Recreation
Hacking can be a fun hobby for those who are well versed in computer coding. As a result, hackers are constantly trying to find a new challenge to help hone their hacking skills. As computer viruses have been out for over 30 years, one could imagine that hackers are looking for a new electronic device. What better opportunity is there than cars? Keep in mind that this does not always have to be a malicious act. For instance, some people might just try to see if they can successfully hack a car for bragging rights.

Cyber-terrorism
Unfortunately, car hacking can be utilized to cause some serious damage to many people. Thus, this act of hacking can be a medium used by terrorists to commit heinous acts. As a result of this threat, car companies are finding ways to protect the internet systems in their cars. For instance, recent reports reveal that Tesla Motors Inc., Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors Co all had to reprogram their cars’ electronics due to their vulnerability to hacking.

In recent experiments, hackers took control of several vehicles to demonstrate how it easy it could be for them to gain access. Here, we’ll talk about the experiments, and what you can learn from them to better secure your own vehicle.

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What were the experiments?
Automotive hackers took control of a Ford Escape and a Toyota Prius. The hackers took control of the cars by breaching the car’s security system software. They stopped and started engines, took over the steering and brake, and changed the speedometer readings — all virtually. In the Prius, for example, the hackers red-lined the engine, eventually forcing the car to stop.

Today, computers control all of a car’s major functions. Most cars have 50 to 80 computers — called electronic control units.

What was the response?
These hackers published a paper describing the methods and code they used to take control of the vehicles. The goal of the experiments was to open the conversation about the topic. The research paper described how they accessed and transmitted code by hacking into cars’ networks.

What can you do to protect your vehicle?
The news, sadly, is you can’t do much. Overall, most car security systems are mysterious. Other research teams have also conducted studies on how cars can be manipulated virtually — while ignoring driver controls. This could be a real concern to drivers — someone could take control of their car to crash it or otherwise maliciously manipulate it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also opened a 12-member coalition to deal with increasing cyber threats against vehicles.

While these threats could be a concern, you don’t have much to worry about. Cases of cyber hacked cars are rare — if entirely unheard of outside of these experiments.

We might not be able to secure your car, but we definitely can protect your phone from hackers. PSafe Total’s unmatched Anti-virus system scans your phone files and SD cards 24 hours a day to make sure hackers can’t get hold of your information.