Just imagine the possibilities a driver could experience with the arrival of autonomous vehicles. The assistance drivers will get by “driving” cars equipped with autonomous vehicle technology are so appealing that it will become a pleasure rather than a burden to drive. Indeed, the advantages are highly appealing, but unfortunately, there are concerns over technological vulnerabilities that may arise as autonomous vehicles become more prominent. Eventually, vehicles will become fully autonomous. These cars will use built-in sensors that detect and monitor other vehicles and receive input regarding its surroundings. Moreover, autonomous vehicles will also share data with each other and “learn” from each other. Nevertheless, system outages because of misconfiguration, ransomware attacks, and threats are important risks that need to be addressed. Otherwise, the technology will do more harm to the public than good. Therefore, this essay will address the vulnerabilities arising from potential ransomware attacks and the susceptibility of misconfiguration.

The United States is currently in what could be considered a new “Cold War,” in the realm of cybersecurity. Individuals, organizations, and national state actors are testing the limits with much more minor attacks than what they are ultimately capable of, disrupting the lives of many. Cybersecurity is one of the greatest challenges to the legal field today, exacerbated by lackluster cybersecurity laws and regulations, as well as minimal legal protocols. This new “Cold War” era is demonstrating that critical infrastructure deserves a stronger look from the legal field and government. Weak cyber laws and fragile critical infrastructure is creating a serious risk to public health.