Autonomous car and connected cars have sometimes been confused as one in the same, causing people to use these terms incorrectly. In reality, both these car technologies are two different types of vehicles. Since cars now, and cars of the future having more in common with a laptop than the model T, the cybersecurity world has to keep in mind any issues that may arise.
Connected Vehicles (CV)
Put simply, connected cars have the technology that allows vehicles to communicate with each other, the world surrounding them, as well as provide information to the driver and companies providing connectivity services. Connected cars use already existing, and emerging technologies to allow communication. Most vehicles on the road today probably already have some sort of connectivity that makes it a connected car.
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Autonomous Vehicles (AV)
An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that can perform the functions of driving with or without a human driver. It is also called self-driving cars, or driverless vehicles. On the road now there are cars that have some autonomous functionality, such as self-parking, car collision avoidance, some cars have a sort of auto-pilot feature (look at Tesla and Uber). But until a car can drive itself fully independently, it is not a true autonomous vehicle. Fully autonomous cars don't need humans, but are computer driven. |
Technologies
CVInfotainment
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AVGps
Although AV do not need connected vehicle technology to work, since they must independently navigate roads, CV technologies provides important info that the autonomous computers could use to be more efficient. Autonomous vehicles will also require some sort of connectivity in order to ensure that software, and data needed for driverless navigation to function properly. |
Vulnerabilities
As long as there is any kind of wireless connectivity, or a computer, there is a risk of being open to cyber attacks. These attacks can be brought on anywhere in the world. Although with connected cars theres less of a physical danger than a autonomous car being hacked, there are still dangers. With the car tracking your information such your location, time, and vehicle diagnostics, hackers can have access to that info and use or sell that information.
With autonomous vehicles the sensors that process that roads, and give the computer the information that it uses to steer, accelerate or brake could become vulnerable. Hackers could feed false information to a the laser detection and case an accident. With more and more cars on the road having newer technologies, it opens up a new wave of cyber attacks.
With autonomous vehicles the sensors that process that roads, and give the computer the information that it uses to steer, accelerate or brake could become vulnerable. Hackers could feed false information to a the laser detection and case an accident. With more and more cars on the road having newer technologies, it opens up a new wave of cyber attacks.