The Need for Old- Fashioned Foot Power

As the years past and we delve deeper into a society entranced with technology, we allow ourselves to become more susceptible to invasions of privacy by hackers. It is no secret that a number of organizations, such as Target, Jimmy Johns, and Sony, have had the unfortunate run in with security breaches by computer hackers. Gone are the days we used to only have to worry about computers and emails getting hacked because we clicked on an email promising us a “tropical vacation.” Now, we have to worry about hackers obtaining our information from the stores we shop and the places we eat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there.

Earlier this year, CBS’ 60 Minutes aired a demonstration of the vulnerability of automobile systems to computer hackers. During the demonstration, computer hackers took over different functions of the car, from a laptop outside the car, including making the brakes lock and causing the car to accelerate. The brake locking prevented the driver of the car from braking at all. While the driver could push on the brakes, she could not slow down. Hackers are able to get into the car system through a variety of ways, including through cell phones connected to the car via Bluetooth and smart cars with wireless connectivity.

With the increasing technology, it seems that the hacking is likely to get worse. So how do you protect yourself from automobile hackers? Take a page from the Flintstones book —unplug and power your car yourself.