UTSA researchers review security risks for e-scooters and riders

28 January 2020

Researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio have published a review of the security and privacy risks posed by e-scooters and their related software services and applications.

We were already investigating the risks posed by these micromobility vehicles to pedestrians’ safety. During that study, we also realized that besides significant safety concerns, this new transportation paradigm brings forth new cybersecurity and privacy risks as well.

—Murtuza Jadliwala, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, who led this study

According to the review, which will appear in the proceedings of the 2nd ACM Workshop on Automotive and Aerial Vehicle Security (AutoSec 2020), hackers can cause a series of attacks, including eavesdropping on users and even spoof GPS systems to direct riders to unintended locations. Vendors of e-scooters can suffer denial-of-service attacks and data leaks.

HAPPY TRAILS 

Terry Zdan, BA MEDes