Blog Post #1 - Week 2 due 9/5
A Time When my GPS got Jammed by Hackers
Let me tell you, there is always a special kind of panic and terror when my GPS gets jammed by hackers.
During a road trip that summer, my family invited me to a friend’s wedding party at a seafood restaurant downtown. The plan was simple: drive a couple of hours to the destination and let the GPS guide me to where I needed to be. Everything was going to be normal until my GPS suddenly told me to “Exit right on Beach Blvd.”
Instead of heading to the left exit of “Beach Blvd”, it directs me to an unfamiliar area that appears to be a residential neighborhood with public markets. That was mistake number one when I obeyed without a clear thought in mind. I was expecting to see fairy lights across the streets, filled with affordable goods that are available to the public. However, I was driving past them as I saw hackers in the parking lot jamming my GPS. As a result, the hackers are threatening my life through corporate sabotage, nearly driving me to lose my patience in the process.
Then, I started to run away from the hackers as I sought a better solution to fix the GPS that was being jammed. Thankfully, I switched the GPS to a backup navigation system, such as an inertial navigation system, to assist me while I searched for a parking destination. I rechecked the address, and that’s when I knew I was heading in the right direction, 5 minutes from the destination at a seafood restaurant.
The fear and panic fade away as I escape from the hackers to arrive at a seafood restaurant- 20 minutes late, relieved, and sweaty. My story stole the spotlight as my family is thankful to see me for the rest of the night. You never know when an electronic device, such as a GPS, holds a personal resentment that you use often, whether in the dark or daylight.
My lessons learned: Technology is a great asset and tool, until you find yourself in an unfortunate sequence of events. The next time I take a road trip, I’ll ask Siri or Google Maps on my phone to show me the shortcut routes when I leave. Word Count: 380
