Truckers aren’t Terrorists

Truck drivers — and many other workers — have good cause to be worried about the rise of autonomous technology. Photo: Truckinginfo.com

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So, it couldn’t be cargo hijackers. Or terrorists. Although there was a mention of bored teenagers.

But according to science writer Simon (or “Simson” – they’ve got his named spelled two different ways) Garfinkle in an opinion piece in MIT’s Technology Review, out-of-work truckers may one day be so angry at losing their jobs, they might either hack an autonomous truck’s control system, or “bedazzle” its lane-tracking and safety cameras with a laser pointer to deliberately cause accidents.

Now, before we get too deep into this, let me say right up front that the article in question is worth a read and contains a great deal of useful information – particularly if you’re worried about the threat of vehicle hacks today or in the future — provided you’re willing to overlook the fact that the author clearly thinks truck drivers are a greater threat to our collective security in our autonomous future than terrorists.

When I go around the country speaking about autonomous vehicle technology, the number-one question I get asked is about the potential for hackers to take over a truck and either divert its load or cause a crash. Rarely do any of the folks asking the question specifically mention certain groups of people – but if they do, it’s usually teenagers or criminals. Out-of-work truckers and Teamsters aren’t who fleet managers are worried about.

On a certain level, I do understand what Mr. Garfinkel is concerned about. I’ve written extensively about the disruptive nature of autonomous technology in our society today and the impact it will have in the future. Still, we’re a long way from truck drivers losing their jobs. Although the truth is, almost any occupation you …Read the rest of this story

Source:: http://www.truckinginfo.com/blog/truck-tech/story/2017/08/truckers-aren-t-terrorists.aspx