By Eric Peters -


In a late-model vehicle, an onboard computer -- the "ECM," or Electronic Control Module -- controls everything from basic engine operation to when and how firmly the transmission shifts.The average new car, according to IBM, contains 20 processors to monitor and control functions -- with about 60 megabytes of software code. Many late-model cars also have onboard (and computer-controlled) navigation and communication systems that interface with cell phones, personal digital assistants and even the Internet, allowing drivers to send and receive e-mail from their vehicles.A growing concern is that this ..............


To date, the threat posed by hackers and viruses has been limited to desktops, laptops and PDAs/cell phones using wireless technology -- or which are connected to the Internet -- where viruses are a constant source of worry. But the technology finding its way into cars is not fundamentally dissimilar. (The Prius, for example, uses a proprietary form of Microsoft CE called Symbian.)

GM's popular OnStar concierge/ communication system also uses cellular and Global Positioning System technologies to perform multiple functions -- everything from real-time directional and roadside assistance to help find a gas station to unlocking a vehicle's doors remotely if the owner accidentally leaves the key in the ignition when closing the door. And it does all this using wireless networks.

If a hacker manages to penetrate the OnStar system, he might be able unlock your car's doors, pop the trunk or maybe even start the engine. And he could do this all without a key -- and without you ever suspecting a thing until you come back from shopping to find your car empty of valuables, or simply not there.

OnStar representatives say protocols are in place to prevent viruses from corrupting the system. While these have been successful, industry experts such as Hypponen point out that past success is no guarantee of perpetual invulnerability. The technology is so new that the bad guys probably haven't gotten around to it yet.



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