Tesla issues patch for security flaws found by hackers

The researchers were Kevin Mahaffey, who co-founded the cybersecurity startup Lookout, andMarc Rogers, a security researcher at CloudFlare which protects websites from hacks. “If no one has done a great job with security they are jumping off a cliff swiftly to their doom”.

Tesla will reportedly issue a patch for the car’s software to prevent the possible hack, and that all drivers will have the patch by Thursday through download via WiFi or a cellular connection.

The automaker said that its security team works carefully with the security research community to make sure that it continues to save its systems against susceptibilities by frequently validating, stress-testing, and upgrading its safeguards.

We learned this week the Tesla Model S can be hacked

Reporting on second-quarter trading, Mr Musk said that the next few years would be “transformational from a product perspective”, having already established the high-performance Model S as the best-selling electric vehicle in the US. Cars are no longer standalone devices; they are part of the Internet of Things, the concept of using sensors and other tech to connect everyday items to the Web.

The two San Francisco based hackers notified Tesla about the security issues via an email. Then, they were able to access the systems remotely.

The hack on Tesla follows last month’s attack on Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee.

Hacks of connected cars have also started to catch the attention of the general public.

They decided to target Tesla, they said, because of its reputation as a software-centric company-which might mean its software would be less vulnerable than that of legacy automakers.

After physically connecting a computer to the vehicle via an ethernet cable, Mahaffey and Rogers had access to certain systems in the auto, and were also able to leave behind a Trojan Horse to allow for remote-access.

Tesla’s efforts at security haven’t been overlooked.

In the UK, a basic version of the Model S sells for just shy of £50,000, though a £5,000 rebate is available from the Government under a scheme aimed at encouraging take-up of electrically-powered vehicles.

“We do think that it’s going to be quite a challenging production ramp on the X”, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told analysts on a conference call Wednesday.

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