Experiment Allows Hackers to Wirelessly Control Moving Vehicle

July 25, 2015 – Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million vehicles after it was discovered that security researchers hacked a Jeep Cherokee vehicle remotely through the radio.  The company has recently been hit with $105 million in penalties for delaying recall repairs and is mandated to federal oversight.

Wired Magazine published a July 21, 2015 article called Hackers Remotely Kill a Jeep on the Highway With Me In It.  The author of the Wired article, Andy Greenberg, agreed to drive the Jeep in an experiment conducted by security researchers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek.  Miller and Valasek spent the last year researching the ability of hackers to remotely control a vehicle, in this case, a Jeep Cherokee SUV. Miller and Valasek controlled the temperature, radio, windshield wipers, and to the horror of the driver, the accelerator, through commands sent through the vehicle’s entertainment system.  All attempts made by the driver to override the remote control and regain control were useless.  Miller and Valasek also can turn off the engine, slam on or disable brakes, and obtain GPS information. Continue reading →

The following are the most recent recalls announced by the USDA:

July 18, 2015 – Poughkeepsie, New York:  Gluten free chicken from Bell & Evans has been recalled due to a possibility of Staphylococcal contamination.  The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is found in hair, skin, nose and throats of animals and people.  This bacteria contaminates food through improper handling and processing.  Room temperature causes the bacteria to multiply which produces a toxin that can cause illness and food poisoning.  For information on this recall, call Murray’s, Inc. at (800) 638-0215 Continue reading →

This week the iconic Texas Ice creamery Blue Bell announced a mandatory recall of all it’s frozen dessert products over concerns of contamination by the potentially deadly bacteria Listeria. This is the second recall for Blue Bell in less than a month. It follows an initial March recall due to Listeria found in half-gallon containers of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream produced March 17 and March 27.

Publix, our regions largest grocery chain with 763 stores in Florida alone, issued immediate orders to all its stores to destroy all Blue Bell ice cream. Other grocery chains across the southeast have issued similar orders to destroy all products produced by Blue Bell, the Nation’s third-largest manufacturer of ice cream. Continue reading →

The Topeka Capital Journal reported that the Better Business Bureau warned consumers of the dangers of ignoring product recalls.  According to the Better Business Bureau, every product created is a possible recall candidate.  Consumers who do not check whether or not their product has been recalled, could be placing themselves and others in harm’s way.

We, here at Saunders and Walker, P.A., try to keep you updated on product recalls.  However, it is not possible to report on every recall of every product. For that reason, we strongly urge consumers to be proactive in researching products before and after purchases. Continue reading →