From artificial intelligence (AI) to the Internet of Things (IoT), there has never been a greater opportunity to create new efficiencies through data. These next-gen solutions collect an unprecedented amount of information and help business leaders understand and capitalize on opportunities in real-time. Take the trucking industry for example, which is embracing smart cabs to improve the driver experience and create more intelligent fleets.
Hand-in-hand with these advancements, however, comes the need for greater security. Vulnerable systems can put sensitive driver and customer data in jeopardy – which can have serious consequences on your business. Earlier this month at the annual Black Hat security conference, ethical hackers unveiled real vulnerabilities that impact a number of industries, including ones that could impact your fleet in the future.
Here are a few of the things we learned:
- Threats to GPS for driverless trucks. Autonomous vehicles and driverless trucks are often cited as an important part of the future of logistics. However, one of the key systems that lay the foundation for autonomous vehicles, GPS, isn’t necessarily ironclad. from Victor Murray, an Engineering Group Leader at SwRI, demonstrated how the right commands can be used to infiltrate driverless cars and direct them remotely. He also discussed how engineers can bolster GPS defense ahead of future advancements.
- Can 5G protect all devices? 5G Networks are the future of fleet connectivity, with unmatched speeds and processing power. As it starts to roll out over the next few years, hackers are proactively searching for vulnerabilities. They have found backdoors that let intruders identify individual connected devices, throttled internet speeds and drain the power of individual devices. Think about it this way – a hacker could theoretically access an ELD device, preventing its ability to track information and threaten compliance.
- Tech has never been more security-minded. It isn’t uncommon for major tech companies to work with former hackers and security experts to locate and prevent system weaknesses before catastrophe strikes. This trend continues, with more and more business offering “bug bounties.” Microsoft alone is offering researchers $300,000 if they can run successful test exploits on its Azure platform.
As the trucking industry continues to evolve, we’re proud of our efforts to keep our systems and customers secure here at Omnitracs. Learn more from our own Sharon Reynolds, Chief Information Security Officer, about her role as president of the InfraGard North Texas Member Alliance: https://www.omnitracs.com/blog/volunteering-keep-transportation-industry-secure