Can Cyber Terrorists Turn Off Your Tesla While You're Driving It?

Aug. 07, 2015 4:50 AM ET by Isaac Cohen / 15 Comments

This will surely embarrass Elon Musk.

Tesla is known for having an abundance of high-tech goodies in its Model S. The car is permanently connected to the internet for navigation, streaming and software update purposes. The car is also capable of being partially autonomous, which raises the concern that, with all this power vested in the computer, could it be hacked? Elon Musk once assured us that hacking and taking control of a Tesla was nearly impossible, but just recently, hackers prevailed over the high-tech security system in the Model S.

The hack was not done by some shady Russians or even cyber terrorists-it was done by two tech firms, Lookout and Cloudflare. The firms reported that they hacked the Model S because they heard that Tesla knew software better than any other manufacturer and they wanted to see just how good it was. After hacking the car they were able to power off all monitors and music and apply the handbrake, bringing the car to a sharp stop. While this was done at just five mph, there is no telling if the same feat is possible at higher speeds. If this ability fell into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. But don't worry, Tesla is already promising an update that will make this tomfoolery impossible.