ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN BE EXPLOITED TO HACK CONNECTED VEHICLES Posted on : Dec 15 - 2020

AI and ML can be used to conduct Cyber-attacks against Autonomous Cars

Innovative automakers, software developers and tech companies are transforming the automotive industry. Today, drivers enjoy enhanced entertainment, information options and connection with the outer world. As cars move toward more autonomous capabilities, the stakes are increasing in terms of security. As per a report by the UN, Europol and cybersecurity company Trend Micro, cyber-criminals could exploit disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to conduct attacks against autonomous cars, drones and IoT-connected vehicles.

The rapid increase in these technologies inevitably creates a rich target for hackers looking to get access to personal information and control the essential automotive functions and features. The possibility to access information on driver habits for both commercial and criminal purposes, without knowledge and consent, means attitudes towards prevention, understanding and response to potential cyber-attacks require changing.

For instance, stealing personally identifiable information comes into sharper focus when considering virtually all new vehicles on the road today come with embedded, tethered or smartphone mirroring capabilities. Geolocation, personal trip history, and financial details are some examples of personal information that can potentially be stolen through a vehicle’s system using AI and ML.

How Cybercriminals Attack Connected Vehicles

Cybercriminals could conduct attacks abusing machine learning. The technologies are evolving so fast that today autonomous vehicles have ML implemented in them to recognise the environment around them and obstacles like pedestrians must be avoided.

However, these algorithms are still evolving, and hackers could exploit them for malicious purposes, to aid crime or create chaos. For instance, AI systems that manage autonomous vehicles and regular traffic could be manipulated by cybercriminals if they gain access to the networks that control them.

Understanding the threats to connected cars requires knowledge of what cybercriminals are trying to achieve. Hackers will try out different kinds of attacks to achieve unique goals. The most dangerous objective might be to bypass controls in crucial safety systems like steering, brakes and transmission. But cybercriminals might also be interested in obtaining valuable pieces of data that are managed within the car software like personal details and performance statistics. Wherein data can be protected with cryptography, this only shifts the problems from preventing data directly to protecting the cryptographic keys. View More