CyberSecurity FEatures in the Tesla Model 3

Welcome back everyone and I hope you've had an awesome week.  Today I'm going to outline some of the really cool security features in my Tesla Model 3.  This blog is inspired by my good mate Marty, who was very interested in some of the Tesla security features. 

​First of all let me outline the five areas I'll cover:

• Software Updates - how do you update the car's software and is it safe?
• Sentry Mode - this is the mode you use to protect your car from vandalism or theft.
• Dashcam - perfect for recording that accident that simply was not your fault.
• Pin to Drive - mult-factor authentication for cars.

​Before that...let me share with you, my latest video on YouTube, demonstrating the Pin to Drive and Automatic Lane Changing feature which is part of the Enhanced Autopilot.

I also wanted to share a link to an awesome new course that I'm very excited to launch with ALC Education & Consulting.  It's a 3 day course leading to the Enterprise Big Data Professional certification, where I'll share all my personal Tesla, SpaceX and NASA personal stories.....

Software Updates

For everything that Tesla does...safety is their priority.  Software updates are optional...in fact there is an option to be an 'early adopter' of updates or just a 'regular adopter'.  I've gone for the early option which is setup on the system page of the Tesla.  This means I will receive all the updates as soon as they are ready.  

Firstly, the car must be stationery and in park.  Secondly I need to be connected to a strong WIFI signal.  Thirdly, it's also a good idea to be charging at home.  So there are zero risks of updates whilst driving.  I've done 3 updates in only 30 days of having the car.  Each one took around 25 minutes, was flawless and gave me a heap of new features.  Overnight whilst charging is the best time to do them.

Yes...Tesla software updates are 100% safe.  The Spotify App was added in the latest version 10 of the Tesla Model 3 software updates.....

Sentry Mode

This is great when you leave your car in a car park or on the road, and you're worried about security.  Once your phone is out of range...or you have locked the card with your key and walked away...the sentry mode is active.

Whenever someone approaches the car, all the cameras pick up the movement and start recording.  This is after it warns you as the headlights flash quickly....just like the flash on a speed camera.  Recording stops once the system is satisfied the threat has gone away.  The picture below shows the pulsating red dot when the cameras fire and it periodically displays the words "Sentry Mode Enabled"...or words to that effect.

If the person is very determined and tries to break into the car....the alarm sounds and the owner is notified on the Tesla App on their phone.  I've fortunately never had to test this feature.

The footage from the cameras, when Sentry Mode is activated is stored on a USB that needs to be plugged into the car's internal USB ports.  Unfortunately the only way to view the footage is to plug the USB into a PC.  I'm sure Tesla are working on a feature to make the USB material viewable in the car itself.

Dashcam

Pretty straight forward really....the car will record 60 minutes of footage from all the cameras in the car.  So if you were to have an accident...you simply hold down the dashcam icon button and it saves the 60 mins of footage to the USB key.  Simple really.  Below is a picture showing the dashcam recording.  Denoted by the red dot.

Pin to Drive

Even when you have the Tesla key, which is a card, or the app which authenticates you as the geniune owner of the against the vehicle, it's possible that if someone steals your key or mobile....then they can drive your car.  So, I've enabled a feature called Pin to Drive, which means I need to enter a pin password before I can take off. 

We call this two-factor authentication.  Something I have....which is the key card or mobile phone.....and something I know.....which is my PIN.  The car also has an internal camera, so I'm sure in the future, it'll be possible to identify the driver using biometrics.   This is a 3rd factor of authentication and we call this something you are. 

You could also use geolocation as another factor.  I've setup Tessa to fold the car's wing mirrors as I approach my garage.   Extra safety measure that minimise the risk of clipping my mirrors.  Tesla think of everything.

Wrap-Up

That's it from me this week.  Feel free to share this blog post and the new Tesla video.  Have an awesome weekend.

​P