Specialists already confirm that in the near future, autonomous cars will be something normal and much more people will be able to afford one. It is true, technology – used properly – makes things safer, but that doesn’t mean cars can’t be hacked.

Experts started to show the flaws of self-driving cars and the ways they can be hacked, but the automotive engineers and developers are constantly working on improving security.

Find out next about how autonomous cars can be hacked and what you can do to avoid this situation.

Current situation

Nowadays, people still picture a classic car when they think of one. Even though the design has changed and became more futuristic, when you think of a car, you don’t see one connected to your smartphone for example.

And this is not about people not being aware of the self-driving cars, it is about people not even realizing they connect their phone to the speaker or using Waze.

How is the industry

The automotive industry is surely aware and is making progress towards disabling all the doors for hackers, and all manufacturers focus on security. If you are one of them, here are the most important standards you should follow:

  • Take care of what has rights: be suspicious of all the systems that communicate between them or with a third party.
  • Start from passenger safety: combining this with the security of your car will save you a lot of resources, as you already know everything about the first one.
  • Divide the networks in your vehicle and don’t keep the security elements with other important elements unless it is necessary. If you make this compromise, make sure you take extra security measures.
  • Admit that every technology you use is still vulnerable to hacking.
  • Test constantly.

What happens when you are not the manufacturer

There are few manufacturers, but this doesn’t mean the security burden should lay only on their shoulders. Even if you are a simple autonomous car user, are you afraid of hackers? Don’t get scared, this thing doesn’t really happen. If you still want to take an extra measure of caution, here are the most important things you can do:

You can sometimes switch off some remote services. Not all remote services can be shut down, but you can pay attention to when you can reduce the risks.

Don’t download and install anything that seems untrustful and is not from an official account.

Never use browsers. You probably have an internet browser, but it is recommended to use your phone instead.

Keep an eye on what new information your manufacturer has to offer. They may be updates, but they can also be information about any threats that may occur.

Closing thoughts

No matter what seat you chose, you need to keep your car and yourself safe. If you need to improve your autonomous cars’ safety, just give us a sign. We are more than happy to help you.