Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers Discuss Hackers and Data Privacy Issues with New Cars

The Driverless Car of the future may have unwanted passengers. Modern cars are heavily dependent on electronic systems but safety regulations have not kept pace. According to a report from Senator Edward Markey, who surveyed 19 automakers, nearly 100% of vehicles had a wireless system like keyless entry or Bluetooth that made them vulnerable to hacking. More critical systems are often connected to these points, raising the possibility of a hacker stealing or disabling a car.

Manufacturers largely ignore or dismiss these security issues, despite incidents like 2.2 million BMWs having security issues that could allow a hacker to break into them using only a smartphone. Security researchers have repeatedly showed newer vehicles vulnerability to hackers, setting off horns and shutting down or applying brakes. They often found gaining access was far easier than they expected, due to the use of similar technology as desktop systems. At least one real world incident of vehicle hacking has occurred, with a fired employee hacking into a dealership’s vehicle immobilization system and shutting down around 100 cars. New technologies like driverless cars or vehicle-to-vehicle communications may increase this risk.

The Markey Report also asked about the storage of data gathered by these systems. Around 35% of vehicles record potentially sensitive information like addresses entered into GPS navigation and driving habits. Automakers often have outside companies store and collect the data, raising concerns about privacy.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Galfand Berger Fight for Consumers

Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Galfand Berger has been championing the rights of injured workers, consumers and individuals since 1947. We established the firm more than 65 years ago with one goal: to secure full and just compensation for people who have suffered injustices and injuries. Galfand Berger remains true to that mission.

Galfand Berger’s personal injury attorneys in Philadelphia work to protect the rights of people who have been injured as a result of car accidents, defective products, unsafe equipment and machinery, work place and construction accidents, Workers’ Compensation claims, medical malpractice and any other serious injuries or accidents. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call us at 1-800-222-8792 or contact us online.