Can you hack into a Mercedes-Benz?

As cars continue to get smarter via an increasing number of microchips, processors and autonomous driving functions, they will not be immune to digital attack.

Mercedes-Benz is leading the way in its use of AI, particularly for its MBUX infotainment system, and is also beavering away to advance its autonomous driving technology like most car-makers.

But can you hack into a Mercedes-Benz? It would seem the answer is yes.

"There's nothing in the world that you could call unhackable," stated Mercedes-Benz vice president of digital vehicle mobility, Sajjad Khan.

During a wide-ranging interview at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Khan told carsales.com.au that Mercedes-Benz vehicles are incredibly secure in a digital sense, but they're not completely immune to being hacked.

The idea that cars can be hacked, whether to purloin the lucrative driving data of its owners or even to hijack the vehicle, is not new.

In 2015, a pair of software developers hacked into a Jeep and after accessing a virtual back door, took control of the vehicle's steering, acceleration and braking and eventually shut down the car on the freeway.

As Khan and his teams of software and hardware engineers, artificial intelligence specialists and cyber security experts work to develop secure systems in Benz cars and lock all the digital backdoors, he says it's unlikely a Mercedes-Benz would be hacked – but not impossible.

Like most car companies, Mercedes-Benz has its own team of hackers who continually poke and prod at the evermore complex software that cars require to operate effectively, but Khan says that "incremental [security] developments which are happening on the tech side" are making cars more and more secure.

"We are extremely humble in saying that we make sure that from our side, we do an excellent job by using the best technology available out on the market, and keep developing it further," he added.

Apart from the grisly spectre of your car's engine being shut down by a hacker on the other side of the world, or even having your car remotely controlled and essentially taking you hostage, the digitalisation of new cars also has ramifications for privacy.

Will there be others aside from the driver and occupants who know where you're going and where you've been?

Khan says no, unequivocally.

"One thing I can make very neat and clear is that we are extremely data privacy-driven on this kind of thing. The data belongs to the customer."

Unlike the online world, where Google, Facebook and other popular websites can track your movements and conversations, then monetise the data by firing targeted advertising at you, Mercedes says it has no plans to follow suit.

"From the data privacy side it's the most important thing for us. That has to be very clear, there's no discussion in-house about that one."