"Moving Vehicles Could Be Stopped"... Over-the-Air Updates May Open Door to Hacking

Concerns Rise as OTA Technology Becomes Mainstream
Potential Attacks From Foreign Spies Possible

There are growing concerns that over-the-air (OTA) vehicle software update technology—now increasingly widespread—is becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks from abroad.

On July 20, Yonhap News cited a report from U.S. financial broadcaster CNBC, which warned that OTA technology could be compromised by foreign spies and similar actors. OTA is a wireless technology that allows the transmission of new software, firmware, bug fixes (patches), and data to connected devices via the Internet.

Jason van der Schyff, a cybersecurity and technology researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), explained that “since Tesla first applied this technology to Model S vehicles in 2012, it has now become widely used across the automobile industry.”

Tesla Model Y Juniper

Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, Professor of Systems Security at Swansea University in the United Kingdom, commented, “Compared to previous methods, which required manual updates, this technology offers a fast and low-cost way to manage vehicle systems.”

However, as OTA technology becomes more common, concerns are also emerging regarding transportation infrastructure. Gabriel Lim, Senior Analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, pointed out, “The deployment of this technology presents distinct national security issues.” He added, “Countries such as Norway, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have expressed concerns not only about the potential for data privacy breaches, but also about the possibility that foreign entities could deliberately damage control systems of vehicles in operation.”

In May, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) issued a warning stressing the importance of protecting the automobile industry to limit the capabilities of foreign espionage. AEI recommended in its report that “to safeguard against foreign intelligence threats, the United States should consider additional security reviews,” further proposing that the use of certain foreign-origin hardware and software in vehicles should be restricted and that the disclosure of data collection practices should be strengthened.

There have also been cases where experiments revealed potential risks associated with OTA technology. At the end of last year, Ruter, a Norwegian bus operator, conducted tests on two buses and found potential risks related to OTA technology on one of them. The company stated, “Through a Romanian SIM card, it was possible to access the battery and power supply control systems over a mobile network,” and highlighted that, in theory, a manufacturer could stop or immobilize the bus. Following this announcement, the United Kingdom and Denmark launched their own investigations. The UK Department for Transport stated, “We are investigating the issue and working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre.”

Analyst Lim further emphasized, “OTA technology is expanding beyond vehicles into sectors such as maritime transport, railways, drones, and industrial machinery,” underscoring the importance of holding relevant organizations and governments accountable for how these OTA systems are implemented.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.