In what is an ominous sign of the future, several thousand Lexus model cars have been infected by a computer Virus. The Virus gets access to the car via Bluetooth network connectivity and although the computers can’t actually affect things like the brakes or steering, there are some serious potential side effects of this sort of thing..
The reason I see this as a huge future trend, is because of companies like Microsoft pushing really hard to get their embedded operating system into car computers, and the other push to increase network connectivity in these higher end vehicles.
An interesting question: When you buy a Windows license on a PC, you basically click the EULA and agree that the most Microsoft can be liable for, is the cost of the actual software. Even if a bug in the software costs you your whole business, you can claim from them only the amount you paid in the first place. How would it go if a Microsoft running on-board car computer shuts down the cars headlights in a tunnel and causes a pileup and a few people die, would a Microsoft EULA (End User License Agreement) be able to get them off the hook? This is not all speculation, Microsoft have already done deals to get their operating systems into cars, the Fiat Microsoft deal is a good example of that, but it isn’t the only one.
The only solution here, is to set-up general use Operating Systems for use in only entertainment, navigation and internal visual aid tools. No actual car control systems, or engine management systems should be hooked up to any Operating System that has any form of network connectivity. Microsoft might see a market for car anti-virus products, but I see hundreds of thousands of really angry consumers if the car industry follows the PC industry in these areas. Sure, you can have an engine control computer report stats to the display computer, but it should be strictly a one way street. No controls, even those like door locks, lighting and indicators, engine or steering and brakes should rely on a generic Operating System. To do so would be to risk someone getting killed. No amount of searching I’ve done indicates what Operating System the above mentioned Lexus cars were using, but it doesn’t really matter, no generic Operating System with network connectivity should be in control of anything important in a car.
Read more about the Lexus story here.
