Hackers remotely stop Jeep from 10 miles away
“Though I hadn’t touched the dashboard, the vents in the Jeep Cherokee started blasting cold air at the maximum setting. Next the radio switched to the local hip hop station and began blaring Skee-lo at full volume. I spun the control knob left and hit the power button, to no avail."  In a potentially lethal exercise a journalist from Wired magazine and a couple of white-hat hackers showed conclusively that cars can be hacked, whilst driving along; and that the engine can be killed.  The hackers have found a zero-day exploit in the Jeep Cherokee's software so that they "can target Jeep Cherokees and give the attacker wireless control, via the Internet, to any of thousands of vehicles".  A couple of US Senators have started voicing their concerns over consumer protection, saying that on-board computers need to be far more sophisticated in their protection. 
GMC

The susceptibility of our cars to cyber attacks came into question this week, when a Wired reporter’s ride, a Jeep, was remotely taken control of.

Luckily, the hackers in this instance were actually researchers. But the reporter's harrowing account has resonated all the way to Congress.

A pair US Senators want there to be more protection for drivers against their on-board computers being hacked, which could put those drivers in life-threatening situations.

Known as the “SPY Car Act,” the law would instruct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish federal standards of protection for vehicles and drivers’ data.

“Drivers shouldn’t have to choose between being connected and being protected,” said Senator Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), in a statement.

“We need clear rules of the road that protect cars from hackers and American families from data trackers.”

Additionally, the law would create a “cyber dashboard,” allowing consumers to see which automakers have gone above and beyond these minimum safety standards.

“Rushing to roll out the next big thing, automakers have left cars unlocked to hackers and data-trackers,” said Senator Blumenthal (D-Connecticut).

“This common-sense legislation protects the public against cyber-criminals who exploit exciting advances in technology like self-driving and wireless connected cars.”