Days after a staged hackers successfully took control of a Jeep Cherokee, Tesla Motors announced that it will proceed with the update of the software systems of select number of Model S vehicles to test the beta version of its Pilot system, a software that allows hands-free driving.
The trial run will begin next week, even as the auto industry scrambles to deal with the public relations nightmare left in the wake of the hacking incident.
The software update will be undertaken over the air. This means that car owners no longer need to visit a Tesla showroom for the installation. It is an approach that auto makers are expected to adopt as the norm, according to NBC News. The Tesla update and the path towards hands-free driving indicate a growing security concern, wherein hackers may now begin to cover vehicles in addition to computers in their activities.
What is particularly disturbing for observers is how car manufacturers are slow to adopt security measures that could prevent breaches in security. Fiat Chrysler already announced a software patch for the hole that the hackers of the Jeep Cherokee exploited. Its efficacy remained suspect as experts doubt this type of security measure.
"They assume hackers can't get through their perimeter security, which is not true," Egil Juliussen, research director for IHS Automotive, told Computer World. He cited that firewalls can't protect today's connected cars. It was also stressed that as cars become more connected with others vehicles and surrounding infrastructure, the opportunity to breach their security increases exponentially.
"Customers are demanding new capabilities and more technology, so the risk is only going to increase for vehicles," Jon Allen, a web security expert, told the New York Times.
