COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE. YIKES.

It’s one of those science fiction scenarios that is not so far-fetched. Everything on modern vehicles is run by computer. Many of those different parts and devices are wirelessly connected. And those connections are not always secure.

Experts worry that hackers – from terrorists to teenagers – could essentially hijack a moving motor vehicle, turning it into a giant remote-controlled toy. A big truck could be a powerful agent of destruction, and trucks may be most vulnerable to hacking because they are more extensively networked.

Industry experts and government regulators are attuned to the potential safety issues, especially at the dawn of self-driving vehicles. Hopefully, they are engineering security systems and failsafes to prevent access by outside parties.