This thread is definitely interesting and there are fair arguments on both sides. Technology give us cool features and convenience, but everything comes with a price. Anything with connection to the internet or any kind of connection could be manipulated by someone. This is a fact.
All that being said, these are the times we live in, and this is what most people want, more tech, features and convenience. So from my perspective, it's the manufacturers that are in the toughest spot. They have to ensure that they have top notch software and cybersecurity teams. If you work in Cybersecurity, I hope your staying up to date or even better, ahead of the curve in that regard, not going the other direction and falling behind. All of of these things cost a lot of money by the way and that is reflected in the prices of our new vehicles. So if we want tech, we need be willing to pay for it.
Are the older car makers good at software and security today? They are getting better, but this is why you are seeing one platform shared across all vehicles now. It simplifies costs and software and that part is very good. However, they continue to show that they need more investment in these areas.
The best solution is to start considering which features really need to be part of apps and tied to software vs those that should not be accessible by the infotainment system. Anything that is tied to driving or operation of the vehicle should really be in one air-gapped system, with infotainment being separated and connected for streaming, updates to phone sync tech and the like. Where the real issue is now is we need apps for remote start and we can see error messages and vehicle info in our apps. Once you open those systems to over the air updates and sending info through the cellular connection you have greatly expanded the liability from attacks.
The rub is car makers need subscriptions to help pay for the ongoing costs of these services which is why they are bundled together. So we really need the best cybersecurity, software devs, and UI/UX designers at these companies to ensure we are as protected as we can be.
On another note, normal everyday people should not be learning Linux commands, unlocking bootloaders to any software on devices they own or otherwise messing with the software that comes with those devices as they have no idea what they are doing and don't really need to learn those things. If you want to mess around with things you find on XDA developers, you really should look at the second word in there developers. Have I messed around with this in the past yes, and because of that I would say only those that have a decent understanding of software should be doing anything like that. Also it's a great way to void your warranty if you break something and don't know how to fix it.
