 Risks of the software 1
| There is something threatening about it . . . |
What's that about? Years ago, I had a solar power system installed, which was quite expensive at the time. I manage to install it and get it approved just in time before the reduction in reimbursement. Then I won't worry
about it anymore.
After five years, the inverter suddenly failed, having never shown any signs of deterioration beforehand. I find the manufacturer in Romania who, although not responsible at all because he is not the seller, offers to
exchange it free of charge for a repaired one.
I don't remember exactly, but I think he even paid for shipping. I install the new/old one, and it leaves me completely undisturbed for the next ten years. Was the old one really broken, or did they just change the software to
be able to spy on me more effectively?
This brings us to the topic of cybersecurity. Essentially, this is protection against attacks from hackers. Can it be distinguished from other terms such as 'security'? The experts say yes, namely everything that concerns the
safety functions of the vehicle.
A dramatic event: Two researchers in the USA, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, put a well-known journalist in a Jeep and, while driving at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (approx. 110 km/h),
remotely controlled all possible functions, even the brakes.
They exploited a vulnerability in the mobile network to access the CAN bus and thus all connected sensors and, in particular, actuators. Once inside, it is relatively easy to manipulate the bit sequence to a specific actuator
or control unit, e.g., the brakes.
The effect must have been enormous at the time, because whereas manufacturers had previously avoided investing in security, they were now forced to invest considerably more in it. The scandal at VW in 2024, uncovered
by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), would be more accurately classified as cybersecurity.
Here, the software subsidiary Cariad had stored data from approximately 800,000 vehicles unprotected in cloud storage, with more than half of this data consisting of particularly precise movement and location data. In
some cases, it was even possible to obtain the identity of the vehicle users.
This is where the so-called 'movement profiles' keep cropping up. What are they actually good for? We would say: 'So what, it doesn't matter if someone knows where I was and when. If he/she had followed me, he/she
would know too.
No, it does matter, because it's the quantity that counts, for example. Even the Stasi was unable to learn as much about the movements of its citizens as modern IT methods can. And that is precisely
the difference. Together, the data can be used to gain insights.
Trading companies were probably among the first. The mere fact of where to open the next branch can be influenced by such data. Together with data from online behavior, this reveals whether it is still worthwhile to invest
in branch offices.
Companies are already paying money to a startup that dissects the content of their social media posts, compares it with the success of others, and then suggests changes to the design. Please imagine
books created in this way.
| The violent leveling of our society continues to increase. |
But that's just the harmless tip of the iceberg. In connection with the scandal at VW, there was already talk of the possibility of centimeter-precise location tracking. Imagine this in a supermarket. Rearranging
goods and testing them again.
What does it do to us when economic interests know far more about our psyche than we do ourselves, when we are unconsciously guided to our 'shopping pleasure', when even now
too many people, and not just young people, are heavily in debt?
That was just the anonymous or anonymized data. It's unthinkable if these can be traced back to a specific person. "Are there cameras here?" cried the Chinese woman, who had recently bumped into another car, albeit
only slightly. Without it, she could claim that the other person had gotten too close to her.
Yes, China does indeed appear to be a leader in this field as well, with significant expansion into facial recognition. This allows a ranking and conclusions about the character of a particular person to be derived from
multiple instances of inappropriate behavior.
This could be of interest to a future employer, perhaps even banks that grant loans. But the worst is yet to come, namely when you happen to be at a crime scene. Can you then always state with certainty that you had
nothing to do with the crime?
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