Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Hiring Hackers To Use Apps Instead of Keys

It is no question that the electric car company, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), is just as much a technology company as it is an automobile company. The company, located in Palo Alto, California, has released groundbreaking technology, from the 100 percent electric Model S to the company’s signature wireless software updates.

While the electric car company continues to blur the lines between the auto and technology industry, the company has recently announced some game changing news that reaffirms its goal and leadership in the journey of merging technology with automobile transportation.

Tesla Paying Hackers

This summer, Las Vegas hosted Def Con, a security conference that drew crowds of hackers. The CEO and founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, and the head of Tesla’s digital security department, Kristin Paget, were among this crowd. The two were looking to hire twenty to thirty security researchers to join the company.

But what does Elon Musk plan to do with the hackers at Tesla?

Paget brought light and confusion to this question. “It’s a super car that can be connected to the Internet. Use your imagination,” she revealed in an interview.

The electric car manufacturer already places its security researchers on a pedestal; on its website, the company has a Tesla Security Research Hall of Fame, where it lists twenty names of security researchers that have helped identify bugs in the company. But now, it seems that Tesla wants to assemble its own internal team of paid hackers.

It is not shocking that the electric car company is increasing its efforts to improve its digital security. The company’s Model S is very likely the most connected car on the market. By using the Internet, Tesla’s Model S gives owners the ability to control basic functions, such as unlocking and locking the car doors, flashing lights, and adjusting climate control options from a smartphone app for Tesla.

Furthermore, the wireless over the air updates for Tesla’s software, which implements improvements and fixes to the electric vehicle’s software through the Internet, not only improve the software for the on board screen that features a 17 inch display. These wireless updates sometimes even offer new physical capabilities for the Model S vehicle itself.

As dependent Tesla is on digital communication and wireless information, it is extremely important for Tesla to take every initiative to find potential security bugs.

Switching Out Keys For Apps.

Tesla announced another shocker earlier this month when it released the next major operating software system for the Tesla Model S. While the most handy improvement in the update is probably the improved navigation and maps software, the most interesting change was, by far, the ability for customers to use the app in lieu of the key. However, Tesla Model S owners must wait until the mobile app is updated with the new feature before they can experiment with this new technology.

Rumors are also spreading about the possibility of Tesla using the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s from Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). These rumors stem from the announcement from Apple that it will make the Touch ID technology available to third party apps when the company launches the new software next month.

It is important to note that the innovation that Tesla will roll out is not that owners of the Model S will have the ability to start their car with the app. Many cars already feature this technology. Rather, the major technological breakthrough is that users will actually be able to drive the electric car without at keyfob in the car. So, if the driver forgets his or her keyfob, he or she will still be able to drive the vehicle. Rather than using the keyfob to identify the owner, the company may integrate the Touch ID technology and use the owner’s fingerprints instead.

Tesla Motors has long been the leader of integrating breakthrough technology into vehicles. When it launched the Model S two years ago, the vehicle featured a built in touch screen display that measured 17 inches and its very own operating system. With features like these, Tesla definitely has the upper leg over its competitors in giving the full experience to its customers.