I don't have to tell you that the Chrysler logo is property Chrysler, do I?
The tagline used to read, “This is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile.” Well, in the dark future we now live in, this is not your father’s Chrysler. Or maybe it is. I’m not responsible for your parent’s taste in cars. What matters is that in our rush to reach the Internet of Things, we’ve managed to be a little, uh, sloppy. If you drive an older car, an economy car, or something with a seriously locked down ECM (seriously, Toyota, knock it off), then you don’t have anything to fear…yet. But if you drive a brand new Jeep Cherokee, your car was just subject to a recall due to hacking.
Photo courtesy Jeep.
The long and the short of it is that those clever lads at Wired remotely hacked into a Jeep via Chrysler’s UConnect system, severely compromising the unit. You can read the article in full, but essentially the car’s infotainment system acts as a gateway into the CAN bus of the vehicle. For those of you who do not know much about vehicle electronics I can explain: this is a very, very bad thing. This is like someone sticking electrodes into your brain so they can make you dance, and dance the Jeep did. With the control obtained, the hacking team was able to control almost the entire vehicle, including the steering, brakes, and transmission.
Granted, the hack is not easy to accomplish, requiring specific information about the targeted vehicle as well as the system architecture, but it is doable. The biggest takeaway from this whole ordeal, however, is that Chrysler has now conducted a recall on 1.4 million vehicles because of this vulnerability. It’s one thing when you get annoying spam on your computer. It’s an entirely different type of game when someone hacks into your car, disables the steering, locks the doors, and then has the vehicle go to wide open throttle. This is the stuff of menace. If they aren’t already, the CIA must be salivating at the prospect of getting certain world leaders into a new Jeep at no money down, no interest for six months.
Granted, the hack is not easy to accomplish, requiring specific information about the targeted vehicle as well as the system architecture, but it is doable. The biggest takeaway from this whole ordeal, however, is that Chrysler has now conducted a recall on 1.4 million vehicles because of this vulnerability. It’s one thing when you get annoying spam on your computer. It’s an entirely different type of game when someone hacks into your car, disables the steering, locks the doors, and then has the vehicle go to wide open throttle. This is the stuff of menace. If they aren’t already, the CIA must be salivating at the prospect of getting certain world leaders into a new Jeep at no money down, no interest for six months.
Technology is a tool. It can be a great tool, but like any complicated device, those that know the intricate details hold power over others. Whether that’s a government, a hacking ring, or a rogue individual, knowledge is power. The ability to think creatively and unconventionally is one aspect that makes us uniquely human. Our need to solve problems with our minds can lead to powerful changes in the way we do things.
When the scales become unbalanced, then we have to make a choice. Do we vest the power in an entity that we feel connected to, such as our government? Do we let corporations police themselves and trust that they will carry out their due diligence in maintaining security and safety? Or do we take upon ourselves the mantel of knowledge and find ways to remain secure without having to sacrifice our liberty in the process?
Problems like this will only continue to manifest, and with increasing frequency. The promise of the future is a completely interconnected world where you fridge maintains your diet, your car drives you to work, and your boss is a robot that dolls out tasks in a completely neutral, PC manner. Your doctor can give you a physical remotely, you and your significant other can be intimate across long distances, and your leisure time is spent in virtual worlds as convincing as our own real one. The question is, how much space for humans is left under all of that technology?
A.C. Harrison is the author of "Jupiter Symphony,” a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk thrill ride where all the cars are too cool to be hacked.
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
When the scales become unbalanced, then we have to make a choice. Do we vest the power in an entity that we feel connected to, such as our government? Do we let corporations police themselves and trust that they will carry out their due diligence in maintaining security and safety? Or do we take upon ourselves the mantel of knowledge and find ways to remain secure without having to sacrifice our liberty in the process?
Problems like this will only continue to manifest, and with increasing frequency. The promise of the future is a completely interconnected world where you fridge maintains your diet, your car drives you to work, and your boss is a robot that dolls out tasks in a completely neutral, PC manner. Your doctor can give you a physical remotely, you and your significant other can be intimate across long distances, and your leisure time is spent in virtual worlds as convincing as our own real one. The question is, how much space for humans is left under all of that technology?
A.C. Harrison is the author of "Jupiter Symphony,” a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk thrill ride where all the cars are too cool to be hacked.
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
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