Consumers are increasingly worried about cyber attack vulnerabilities with connected and automated vehicles, according to a new Munich Re/HSB survey.

Approximately 37 percent of consumers responding to the survey said they were either somewhat or very concerned about both cyber security and safety of vehicles with internet connections and automated vehicles. Similarly, 35 percent expressed worry that a virus, hacking or other kind of cyber attack could damage or destroy a vehicle’s data, software or operating systems.d

Underscoring the problem, one in 10 consumers reported a hacking incident or other kind of cyber attack affected their vehicle, up 3 percent from a similar HSB poll the previous year.

“Our cars are more connected than ever,” Timothy Zeilman, vice president for HSB, said in prepared remarks. “It’s hard for consumers to keep up with rapidly evolving vehicle technology and they wonder if their privacy and personal information is protected.”

Other findings from the survey:

• 11 percent of respondents said they drive an electric vehicle, and 51 percent of that number either don’t know or are not sure what personal information is stored in their vehicle’s entertainment system.
• 46 percent said they were most worried that a hacker might communicate with them over their audio system, either to coerce them or demand ransom.
• 25 percent said they were most worried their vehicle would be immobilized by a cyber attack. About 23 percent expressed concern about having their auto systems compromised by a cyber breach, and 14 percent said they were concerned a cyber attack could lock them out of their vehicles.
• 53 percent of respondents said they had installed Bluetooth in their vehicles; 42 percent had navigation systems, and just under 40 percent had vehicle safety sensors.
• 36 percent of consumers said they owned smartphone apps that connected to their vehicles; 24 percent said they had Wi-Fi or mobile hotspots providing internet service on the road.

HSB commissioned Zogby Analytics to conduct the cyber/auto survey in December 2020. More than 1,500 U.S. adults took part in the survey, which covered their attitudes, experiences and concerns about cyber safety. Based on a confidence level of 95 percent, the margin for error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. That means all other things being equal, the identical survey would have results within the margin of error 95 times out of 100.

Source: HSB