Magazine article
Worried about your car being hacked? You should be – no matter where it was made
The Conversation, Vol.23 September 2026
2026
Appears in The Conversation
Abstract
Earlier this week, the ABC reported a cybersecurity expert hacking a BYD Shark 6 hybrid ute. The expert gained control of the Chinese-made vehicle’s locks, headlights, and audio and video, saying the task “was easier than we were expecting”.
The ABC also reported concerns that cars made by BYD and other Chinese companies may share data – including audio, video and location information – with the Chinese government.
Most modern cars, whether electric, fossil-fuelled or hybrid, collect a lot of personal information. Many transmit that information to offshore servers for storage and processing, where it may be accessible to foreign governments, including China.
However, it’s not just foreign governments that have access to that data. Hackers may able to access it, too – and it’s a concern for all connected vehicles, no matter where they’re made.
Details
- Title
- Worried about your car being hacked? You should be – no matter where it was made
- Authors
- Dennis Desmond - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- The Conversation, Vol.23 September 2026
- Publisher
- Conversation Media Group
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.64628/AA.arc5d3kda
- ISSN
- 2201-5639
- Copyright note
- © The Conversation Media Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991264795902621
- Output Type
- Magazine article
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1 Record Views