Photo courtesy of Sen. Markey.

Photo courtesy of Sen. Markey.

New vehicles that have fully adopted Bluetooth and wireless internet technology leave themselves open to hackers, according to a new report from U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).

The report was first covered by CBS News' 60 Minutes during its Feb. 8 broadcast.

"Drivers have come to rely on these new technologies, but unfortunately the automakers haven't done their part to protect us from cyber-attacks or privacy invasions," said Markey, a member of the commerce, science and transportation committee. "Even as we are more connected than ever in our cars and trucks, our technology systems and data security remain largely unprotected."

Senator Markey posed his questions after studies showed how hackers can take control of several popular vehicles, causing them to suddenly accelerate, turn, kill the brakes, activate the horn, control the headlights, and modify the speedometer and fuel gauge readings. Markey also said he was concerned about the rise of navigation and other features that record and send location-based or driving history information.

As part of his research, Markey asked automobile manufacturers about measures they're taking to address these issues and protect drivers. General Motors and Audi have taken an aggressive approach to rolling out onboard Wi-Fi in their 2015-model-year vehicles

Read the full report here.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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