Automotive Navigation, Entertainment Systems Susceptible to Hackers: McAfee

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Automotive-Navigatoin-Entertainment-Systems-Susceptible-to-Hackers-McAfee-876878/

By Fahmida Y. Rashid
eWEEK.com
2011-09-07

Automobiles are getting smarter as carmakers put in computers that can 
help drivers parallel park and add Internet connectivity to post 
Facebook or Twitter updates. They are also driving into uncharted 
territory as the smart features expose the vehicles to cyber-attacks, 
McAfee said in a recent report.

Vehicles are enhanced with embedded chips and sensors for an array of 
applications, but the systems and data collected are not protected, 
McAfee said in a report released Sept. 6. The number of 
Internet-connected devices is projected to climb from a billion in 2010 
to 50 billion in 2020, of which the bulk will be embedded devices, 
according to the "Caution: Malware Ahead" report.

Technology is increasingly being added to vehicles to improve the safety 
features, monitor the condition of the engine and deliver entertainment 
to the passengers. Microchips are embedded in almost all parts of an 
automobile, including airbags, brakes, power seats, cruise-control 
systems, anti-theft gadgets and communication devices, McAfee said. 
However, security is "often" an afterthought in embedded devices, McAfee 
said.

"As more and more functions get embedded in the digital technology of 
automobiles, the threat of attack and malicious manipulation increases," 
said McAfee senior vice president and general manager Stuart McClure. 
Having a car hacked could result in "dire risks" to personal safety, he 
said.

[...]


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