Newer vehicles on the market offer us an ever-increasing number of enhancements to make our driving experience easier and safer. But along with those features comes a greater risk of cyber hacking and identity theft. As we continue to advance toward fully autonomous vehicles, these risks are sure to increase exponentially. Let's discuss how the industry is addressing the increased risk and what coverages are available.

U.S. automakers are not unaware of the risks and are learning from international research what can happen before autonomous vehicles fully take over our roadways. For example, in 2016 a UK-based Nissan Leaf was hacked all the way from Australia. At the time, the NissanConnect smartphone app only required a car's vehicle identification number (VIN) to take control. By copying and pasting URL codes into an Internet browser, the researcher was able to access details such as where and when the car had recently been driven. These type of hacks may not cause havoc on the road, but could possibly lead to your home being burglarized, or even to a coordinated hijacking.

As consumers, many of us are happy to share a significant amount of personal data with connected devices in exchange for greater functionality and convenience. The same applies to new cars and mobility solutions, and in the future, autonomous shuttles. However, the consequences of losing control to a hacker may not be simply inconvenient or embarrassing, but potentially life threatening. For example, today's users are revealing their location, where and when they travel, and which services they use, essentially allowing the device to track us as individuals.