Interesting Cnet article on automotive systems security risks, comes down to several interesting facts…
IDC claims mobile security software market will grow from $70 million in 2003 to $993 million in 2003, CAGR of 70%.
Another fact: "users will not buy security anything until the threat has been validated", according to Yevgeni Kasperski, head of antivirus research at the Russian company, Kaspersky Lab.
The threat is that mobile phones, using bluetooth, will pass viruses to the auto operating systems creating havoc with environmental controls, fuel performance, and entertainment systems? yawn. Now, if they caused accidents, or caused airbags to stochastically inflate, that's a different ballgame…. and a much bigger pain. Yet, the risks are slim today.
Computers on cars are special purpose. Some vendors have used sophisticated encryption and authentication techniques to assure that no 'bad software' could be inadvertently or deliberately for that matter, deployed on the car.
