SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - It's the newest technology designed to make your life easier, the internet super highway on the highway. With today's technology you can make a phone call, dial up satellite radio and soon even be able to access the internet all from behind the driver's seat. With your car becoming one big computer some wonder what that means for all the computers already in the vehicle.
Kelly Anderson, Master Technician at Werner’s Mercedes and BMW explains, "The computers in the cars control everything from fuel management, to the safety restraint system to transmission shifting to braking systems.
Most of the cars that come into the shop can be controlled with the use of a computer. The mechanics plug the car in and the car tells the mechanic what's wrong with it. Now many car manufacturers are working on new systems that can be reprogrammed when a major problem arises.
"That's a changeable program which means that that program can be rewrote,” said mechanic Wayne Lashlee. “The more you can rewrite a program that means someone else who you don't want to rewrite your program can rewrite it too."
Security experts aren't really worried about hackers taking over your car and driving it off a road, but they want auto manufacturers to think about other problems that can arise when your car's constantly always online.
Craig Vickers, Director of Services at the computer security company NetWise said, “It could be something as simple as privacy. Suddenly you have something that's tied to GPS that could be tracking everywhere you go."
Vickers warns it could go as far as thieves hacking into the car's computer unlocking the doors, starting the engine and driving off. He hopes manufacturers have thought of that and kept the entertainment computer away from the cars other operating systems. "You have to be sure that the worst thing that can happen is you can't get your Pandora or internet radio if there's not safe guards in place," said Vickers.
