Unbeknownst to most people, 2016 marked the first time mobile carriers activated more cars than cellphones. Industry experts have projected more than 200 million connected vehicles will traverse the world’s roads by 2020. This degree of connectivity in cars is developing in conjunction with technology that will have the capability of using algorithms to map out usage patterns in order to recognize their users, along with where they’re physically located. The aim of this technology is to provide the best possible experience in accordance to an individual’s situation.
These breakthroughs have caused another industry trend to manifest—concerns regarding security. Chinese security researchers demonstrated their ability to control a Tesla Model X through the Internet and cellular connections on two separate occasions, using a web browser to control the vehicle’s electronic brakes, lights, and doors. Automotive manufacturers and tech companies have acknowledged people’s concerns, which led to the formation of the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center that aims to share the best practices and help design multi-layer hardware and software systems that are more difficult to hack.
In the United States, the industry is also collaborating with Congress and the Department of Transportation to establish federal guidelines related to cybersecurity. Having said that, it’s becoming very evident more technology being installed into cars creates more points of entry for hackers to exploit. Many cars sold today steer, accelerate, brake, and shift transmissions by relying on drive-by wire systems. Essentially, the steering wheel is more equivalent to a life-sized version of a video game console than a conventional steering wheel. Upon operating the wheel, a signal is relayed to an electric motor that turns the wheel.
Infotainment systems that connect to the Internet integrate into an in-vehicle network that features the vehicle’s physical functions, which links them to the outside world. Ideally, cybercriminals can access these computer systems and control their movements using the Internet, since one of the enabling factors in these situations is availability or online updates. The logistical challenges presented by physical downloads make engineers willing to expose vehicles via online software updates, which would make the periodic improvements required to millions of code lines virtually impossible to be influenced by exterior forces (like hackers).
The National Safety Council reported over 40,000 traffic deaths occurred in the US during 2016—an all-time high. This is partially a result of the increase in cars on the road, as the United States has seen about 264 million vehicles registered by 2015. The growing quantity of drivers strengthens the case for vehicular automation, and many in the tech industry believe new regulations and changing people’s mentality about transportation will pose the biggest obstacles to growing the automation industry.
