xxyion

I mean this is funny...but at the same time i think it actually makes sense. If i fully understood it...why would i need to worry?

vader1

Well, I think you have totally missed the point. And yes, you may have to talk down to us old farts because we have VCR's blinking 12:00, and still play 8 track tapes, but this is not "putting out your information" where someone might steal your credit card number. It is not messing with your phone either. It is about having some kind of vulnerability in an asset you might spend north of $50k on. I can put a hold on my credit information (which I have done since equifax sent my data to hooligans) and prevent any bad actors, I may not be able to do this on a OTA vehicle.

In summary:

1) Top internet security expert says "foreign actors want into your car badly!" They are trying all the time. Nothing says they will ever exploit, but they could.

2) You car would not be secure against their expertise.

3) You car bricking has the potential to serious f**k you, leaving you stranded or with an super expensive repair on the one end, or setting fire to your car and maybe home or place of business on the extreme end.

One does not need to be nuts to say "no thanks". If I have a problem that needs an update, I'd prefer to just roll into the dealer for an hour rather than have some vulnerability. I have no wish to be connected to the internet in my car anyway. It serves me no purpose. And no, just having a sat nav anntenna does not leave you vulnerable to attacks depending on how it is integrated into the car's architecture.

The OTA makes it easier for manufacturers to fix a screwup remotely saving them time and money, but at a cost to the owner in a potential breach. I don't care about the manufacturers convenience over my own interest in the slightest.

rob-2

Understand doesn’t remove fear. If you were aware and understood some things few due you might be very worried.

xxyion

I think this just might be a difference in "fear priorities". For me someone hacking my car and causing it to fail and not drive is less of a worry to me than someone stealing my information and posing as me and causing me to constantly change my passwords and get new credit cards.

I mean thats what insurance is for. If someone hacks your car and causes it to explode while its sitting in my garage, thats considered vandalism which is covered by insurance. Even if noone could prove that anyone hacked into my car, they wouldnt be able to explain why my car suddenly spontaneously combusted and therefor the fault would lie with the car company. Which again i would still be covered under insurance.

I get what you are saying with the whole vulnerability thing and a big part of me actually agrees with you, Its a big reason why i like to be there when my mechanic does work. its not that i dont trust him, but part of me has a piece of mind actually watching the fix be performed.

But end of the day its just priority. I dont care if people hack my phone, car, whatever. My info isnt stored on those devices anyways. ( i dont do the whole saving password thing and whatnot). But i do care if people hack my credit card company, or bank or whatever.

rwheelz

Although it is a minor nuisance, I don't really care if someone hacks my credit card. They cover for fraud anyway and immediately refund charges. It takes a phone call and a new card is on the way. Someone bricking my automobile would be FAR more inconvenient.

GuthNW

I've experienced the failure of an ABS system in the past that momentarily disabled the car's braking ability. This lead to a very white knuckled experience. Fortunately the car's braking capabilities returned just before it got to the point that I would have needed to grab for the e-brake. Of course this all occurred at the worst possible time as I was entering a cloverleaf ramp during a downpour. I did some research online afterwards and learned that a number of other people had experienced the same problem. I discovered that a kit was issued by Audi to address this problem which the dealer wouldn't acknowledge until I forced them to search for the part number that I had obtained in my research.

On the flip-side I've also experienced the benefits of ABS and realize it is here to stay. But ever since then I've looked at certain technical advances in the automotive industry with mixed emotions. It should come as no surprise that OTA technology in the automotive realm holds no appeal to me. Aside from the hacking aspect I can just imagine an update being sent out that wasn't properly fully tested resulting in the car malfunctioning in some way when being driven. For me OTA is placed in the category of those things that I'll avoid for as long as possible.