I saw a posting from Raymond Massenberg on LinkedIn in the Automotive Diagnostics U.S./Canada group. It was a link to an article about future training on this subject and my mind instantly got flooded with the thoughts of a potential legal storm that could make the Volkswagen scandal look like a sandbox scuffle.
It's great to see independent training organizations developing programs to stay in front of the future demand of this evolving technology, but there's a big problem looming on the horizon that I haven't heard of being addressed.
Security.
Allowing someone full access to your vehicle's data, communications and bi-directional controls is a lot more serious than allowing them access to your personal laptop or home security system, and the way things are progressing, your laptop and home security will be part of your 'connected' vehicle's network.
Who will have access to your car's network?
Any mechanic or DIY who has taken the courses and bought the tools?
That doesn't sound secure to me, even under the best intentions.
The only thing I can think of, at this moment, is an additional required program where applicants, required to access future onboard systems for repair purposes, can apply for security clearances to an independent body. This would mean strict background checks, technical qualifications, and national registrations.
I know many of us have already been thinking about the possibility that things can go terribly wrong and it's bad enough that hackers are just waiting for the opportunity to 'just have some fun'.
But, it also adds to the potential problem that a local mechanic could have had access to the system and also a customer's private network, which could be apocalyptic for this industry.
When things go wrong, there will be lawsuits, and who would be easier to sue? The hacker, the vehicle manufacturer, or the local repair business?
Don't kid yourself. The vehicle manufacturers already have legal contingency plans in place to counter any lawsuit and it's tough to sue a hacker who can't be found.
That leaves your mechanic and local businesses that the lawyers and insurance companies will target.
But then, what will the manufacturers do when vehicle owners no longer 'trust' their vehicles and begin to park them?
We need to come up with security measures for our vehicles. Not just against hackers, but against all unauthorized access.
