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Back in the day, your car was high tech if it sported a CD player coupled with a decent sound system.

If you were feeling extra special, you could install underlighting.

You can still do that but you really shouldn’t. Also, it’s illegal.

In just a few years, technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, and now you can buy something equipped with everything from built-in WiFi connectivity, to remotely controlled engines, keyless entry, and tyre monitoring systems.

The list goes on.

While this is great for those looking for a streamlined driving experience, where there’s technology, you’ll likely find hackers.

This isn’t a widespread problem at the moment, reports Forbes, but it could be in the future.

According to the FBI, any vehicle that can receive or send an electronic signal can be hacked. In fact, hackers have been able to use this system to remotely disable brakes, engines, and steering at low speeds. They can also operate other key systems at any speed.

In addition, hackers have found ways to tap into devices plugged into onboard diagnostic ports, car-based smartphone apps, and telematics systems like General Motors’ OnStar and FCA’s Uconnect.

Consumer Watchdog recently conducted a study which showed that a number of today’s top-selling cars are vulnerable to hackers.

“The 2020 fleet is wired for remote start options that connect to safety critical systems wirelessly and leave these cars vulnerable to fleet wide hacks,” says Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.

“The remote start capability is accessed through the same digital systems that control steering, acceleration, and braking — potentially giving hackers control over those as well.”

To show just how vulnerable some of the most popular models are, they created a box that allowed them to hack into a Tesla Model S. Using that box, they were able to take over the vehicle’s command screen and send signals to it that imitated messages that would otherwise come directly from the automaker.

This would allow hackers to suggest the downloading of malware onto the system which would give them access to other features, or even sabotage the vehicle remotely.

Here’s a look at how they did it:

The group concluded that Tesla is officially “the world’s most hackable car”.

The group also looked into a number of other vehicles, determining that each of them could potentially be susceptible to a large-scale cyber-attack, given their wireless connectivity systems and remote-start capabilities.

These include:

• Ford F-150
• Dodge Ram 1500
• Chevrolet Silverado
• Toyota RAV4
• Honda CR-V
• Nissan Rogue
• Chevrolet Equinox
• Toyota Camry
• Honda Civic
• Toyota Corolla

Tips for preventing an attack include making sure that you’ve uploaded the latest software, and only from the manufacturer. Automakers often provide links on their websites that enable owners to download the software onto flash drives or SD cards that would be connected to the vehicle for uploading.

Look out for spoofed emails asking you to download upgrades. Actually, don’t click on any links in an email you’re unsure about. It’s generally a bad idea.

You can read the full Forbes article for more tips.

[source:forbes]