The issue focused on how hard it is to keep technology systems safe. The software needed to protect cars and computers from hackers was around $10,000 a pop, up from about $3,000 in the mid-1990s.

In recent years, computer hardware prices have dropped significantly, said Computerworld's digital technologies editor Tim Scott. That could make software less expensive for cybercriminals.

"If you want to take over an electronic system, you can get access to it," he said