Safety and Security

While keeping in mind the small possibility of safety concerns with inaccurate GPS and sensor networks, realize that contrarily, the implementation of self-driving cars as a standard in the future would bring about great improvements in terms of safety on the road, with the connected network of vehicle technology systems and the removal of human input as a factor. This would massively benefit human health and welfare, although self-driving cars would need to operate with reliability while not requiring detailed data sharing for information security. All these positive outcomes are only possible if information security is maintained in these vehicles by auto companies. In a newspaper article from 2016, security systems in cars were reported to not be as secure as they need to be. Pen Test Partners were a group of professionals who hacked into multiple different models of smart cars to test their information security strength, and they were successful. This could sound frightening, as the possibility of someone having their car hacked into would be for anyone; however, these planned security tests were useful as 1.4 million cars went through software updates after being recalled following this experiment, thus strengthening the security systems in smart cars to prevent criminal hacking. The newspaper also details the strengthened security setup for these vehicles: “Most car companies that provide customers with… applications that communicate first with the cloud and then with the vehicle's on-board relay point. This method provides security through a robust cloud-based network.” (Marco, 2016). Forming a security system that protects data and prevents hacking will aid in achieving the security requirements necessary to create a seamless new mode of transportation that would benefit society in many ways such as the environment, the economy, and through social norms. Society would truly thrive under autonomous vehicles becoming a new normal if security measures are continuously updated with technological advances.