WyzGuys Tech Talk

This spring I bought a new Kia Forte that came with a whole lot of electronic goodies including Bluetooth synchronization, voice command, and driver programmable features galore.  And evidently, the potential to be hacked.

This is old news now, but security researchers were able to hack a Jeep Cherokee through the on-board Internet connectivity feature called “UConnect.”

“They were able to change the temperature of the air conditioning, turn on the windshield wipers and blast the wiper fluid to blur the glass, and even disable the brakes, turn off the transmission, take control of the steering, and display their faces onto the dashboard’s screen.”

The idea of having some attacker taking over and driving my vehicle while I’m in it is a fairly scary concept.

This year’s big technology meme is “The Internet of Things” or IoT.  Please remember that this really means the Internet of HACKABLE Things.  That cool web cam that lets you monitor your home on your smart phone may be displayed online on sites like insecam.org, as discussed on my earlier post.

Remembering that the guys and gals who wrote all this cool software are the same guys and gals who wrote the last batch of software to be found full of security holes.  The unfortunate truth is that most programmers dislike programming for security, find it to be bothersome, or just don’t know how.  Writing secure code involves a practice known as SecDevOps, which a few enlightened software developers are beginning to use.

What can you do about it?  Well, not a lot.  But when you receive that email from your new IoT toy manufacturer advising you to upgrade the software or firmware in your device, please do so.  And remember, if your device seems to be hacked the easiest solution is to turn the thing off!