Car hackers can kill brakes, engine, and more

Researchers have taken a look at the onboard systems of today's cars and found serious security problems

Researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, have taken a close look at the computer systems used to run today's cars and discovered new ways to hack into them, sometimes with frightening results. In a paper set to be presented at a security conference in Oakland, California, next week, the researchers say that by connecting to a standard diagnostic computer port included in late-model cars, they were able to do some nasty things, such as turning off the brakes, changing the speedometer reading, blasting hot air or music on the radio, and locking passengers in the car. For much of their testing, they simply put the test-car on blocks, pictured here.

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