No, we are not going to be talking about Steve Martin’s 1987 classic, Planes, Trains & Automobiles. That movie played off of frustratingly slow transportation around the holidays, giving Martin and John Candy free reign to make us laugh hysterically. Unfortunately, if this movie were remade in 2015, it would most likely be a drama.
Concerns continue to rise as the transporation industry becomes the hacker's new playground.
With every aspect of our lives becoming increasingly connected to the Internet, it’s no surprise that transportation systems are getting in on the action. Unfortunately, where there’s an Internet connection, there’s a potential attack point. Transportation hacking is no laughing matter, but how much trouble are you actually in? If you’re interacting with any Internet-connected device—planes, trains and automobiles, included—security needs to be top of mind.
Plain and Simple, Your Car Can Be Hacked
Car manufacturers are finding more and more ways to get their vehicles connected to live networks. You could have guessed this, but increased connectivity has led to greater vulnerability.
Car hacking has exploded in popularity in 2015 and no story has gained more fame than the Jeep Cherokee hack that was explained at Black Hat 2015. It turns out, hacking a car while it’s driving down the road isn’t even all that difficult.
Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek found a Wi-Fi vulnerability that gives hackers just a few dozen possible default passwords when the vehicle boots up for the first time. The researchers found a willing test victim to drive down the highway at 70 mph to see how they could affect him. Turns out, they could completely cut the transmission remotely and brick the car. Thank God this was just a simulation, right?
Wrong. This discovery was a big deal because it shows just how dangerous network-connected vehicles can be. Car hacking is more than just the latest stunt pulled at Black Hat—it’s an imminent reality. In July 2015, Fiat and Chrysler cars were recalled due to a vulnerability in the Uconnect software that would allow hackers to carry out an attack like the one on the Jeep Cherokee. The vulnerability has been patched, but this is real and you must be prepared.
Are you already looking for a way to ditch your modern vehicle? Our friend @chux0r on Twitter is.
He says: “The more I read about electronics in cars, and the race to pervert your ride into an ‘obedience mobile,’ the more I like my ’59 Chevy.”
Trains Aren’t So Safe Either
Want to unload your car in favor of train travel? Not so fast. As rail companies try to keep up with modern technology, they are implementing high tech digital signal systems for increased efficiency and reliability.
But they may not be so reliable as far as cyber security goes. Moving to digital signals gives hackers a door to the network and opens up a world of vulnerabilities that can enable hackers to crash trains—just for fun.
In Steve Martin’s film, the train engine simply fails and they have to get off. With digital signals, we may be so lucky to just have the train stop working instead of crashing into an oncoming train.
Are Planes Our Only Hope?
You may not expect it, but planes are actually the safest form of travel, at least in terms of hacking. Aircrafts use unique systems that are highly redundant and very secure. Current hacking methods haven’t found a way to break through aircraft cyber security measures. The free Wi-Fi in-flight could enable individual compromises, but aircrafts themselves seem to be in no danger of hacks.
Sure, there’s always the random claim that a hacker could launch an attack, but the FBI is on top of these alleged hackers and has never found evidence of an attack—or even an attempt to compromise an aircraft.
Aircraft Information Security working groups are working hard to keep the latest plane tech innovations safe, but there’s one key that many transportation companies are missing.
Security is All About Visibility and Network TAPs Make It Happen
While cyber crime on transportation vehicles definitely adds drama to any movie plotline, there’s one thing that could make it pretty boring—network TAPs. By putting a network TAP in place, you get a purpose-built box that can’t be hacked to ensure that all your security appliances have the visibility they need to stop an attack at its inception.
With greater visibility, you can keep an eye on these potential transportation hacks, whether they’re in planes, trains or automobiles.
What do you think about all of this transportation hack talk? Tweet and tell us at @GarlandTech.
