Car cybersecurity concerns rising: 'The more connected your vehicle is, the more exposed you are'

The danger of car hacking among electronic systems is likely going to be a rising concern.

Drivers of "unconnected" cars shouldn’t worry, though. Vehicle hacks happen to units that have more advanced features.

"The more sophisticated the system is, the more connected your vehicle is, the more exposed you are," Moshe Shlisel, CEO and founder of GuardKnox Cyber Technologies said, according to Car and Driver. "We have taken whatever model [car] you think of and we hack them through various places. I can control your steering, I can shut down and [start] your engine, control your brakes, your doors, your wipers, open and close your trunk."

According to a report from Upstream Security, there were, at a minimum, 150 automotive cybersecurity hacks reported in 2019, which was dramatically higher than three years prior.

Since 2016, there has been a 94% year-over-year increase in instances of vehicle hacking.

The more connected vehicles are integrated with advanced communication methods, the higher the risk that car hacking is likely going to be an increasing and ongoing problem, experts warn. This would include ransomware. “Multilayered cybersecurity solutions that involve in-vehicle, IT network and cloud security defenses” are recommended by experts, Car and Driver reported.