"I Was Hacked" May Soon Be A Viable Defense In Car Crash Cases

Almost all modern-day vehicles have integrated computer systems that manage the car or truck's processes. In recent years, automakers have expanded the capabilities of these computer systems to let drivers and passengers make telephone calls and use the Internet (among other benefits) while on the road. However, a recent article published by Wired has exposed how these upgrades have only made vehicles vulnerable to hacking. Here's more information about this impending digital disaster.

Taking Control from the Couch

The author of the article volunteered to be a guinea pig for two hackers who had been researching virtual car-jacking for several years. During the experiment, the two men were able to take control of the vehicle's entertainment system, climate control system, and eventually cause the car to shut down completely while the writer was driving on the highway at 70 miles per hour. The human trial of the hacking attempt nearly ended with a fatality.

According to the researchers, they were able to hijack the vehicle through a vulnerability in the car's onboard computer system. Using this opening, they were able to overwrite an essential component with proprietary software that gave them control over most of the vehicle's systems including the engine, transmission, and brakes.

In the past, the hackers could only gain access to these systems if they were physically in the vehicle. However, since the car had a Wi-Fi signal, they were able to take control of it remotely. Using the tools they developed, they could also track a vehicle's location using GPS.

Although the test was conducted on a make and model vehicle they identified as being most vulnerable to a hacking attack, the researchers emphasized that all cars on the road that emitted Wi-FI signals were potentially at risk.

Protecting Yourself from Attack

Automakers have known about this issue for at least three years. According to the researchers, however, the manufacturers didn't take them seriously at the time because the hack required the perpetrator to physically interface with the vehicle. Now that the researchers have proven the cars can be hijacked remotely, automakers are scrambling to uncover and patch holes in their systems.

At least one car company has already released a patch to close security holes exposed by the hackers. However, the patch must be applied manually either by a mechanic or by downloading the patch onto a USB stick and plugging it into the car. Another company recalled some of its cars to fix a vulnerability that allowed an unauthorized person to unlock the vehicle's doors.

Since this issue is so new, the best way to protect yourself is to contact the your vehicle's manufacturer about updates that may need to be installed to erase any vulnerabilities in the system.

A Hacker Did It

The researchers plan on releasing their findings and information about the security vulnerabilities of various vehicles at a conference in 2015. Though they stated they will not release information about the specific vulnerability that let them take control of the vehicle used in the test, they believe the flaw can easily be uncovered by any hacker willing to invest the time to reverse-engineer it. This means it's just a matter of time before a malicious hacker causes someone to get into an accident.

Theoretically, it's possible to deflect liability for an accident onto the hacker that caused it. In reality, proving the accident was the result of a successful hack may be challenging. There may not be any signs or clues left behind that you could point to that definitively indicate a third-party took control of your vehicle and caused you to crash. Additionally, since the attack can be performed remotely, locating the responsible individual may prove impossible.

Still, reparative technology tends to keep pace with the malicious stuff, so there's a good chance security experts will have come up with a way to detect automotive hacks by the time the first accident caused by one occurs. Whether your car accident was caused by good old-fashioned bad driving or a clever hacker, contact a personal injury attorney for assistance with the resulting legal issues. You can find a firm that works with personal injury and accident cases at sites like http://www.danielgoodmanlaw.com.