With various forms of software finding its way into everyday modern appliances, it would seem a good time to start taking the issue of bugs and security more seriously.

CNN are reporting that some Toyota hybrid vehicles are stalling or shutting down at freeway speeds due to a software problem. Anyone with a reasonably modern car will know when you have a stall you lose power steering and braking response. If this happened while travelling at 100kmh down the Freeway you might not know until it was too late.

A Toyota spokesman said their engineers had identified software faults in 23,900 Toyota Prius vehicles last year, advising owners to bring them in for a software upgrade. No fatalities or accidents have been reported.

Software bugs are common but they should never be the cause of concern for the life of an individual. When part of your vehicles service regime requires the services of a Software Engineer you have to stop and think about where all this is leading.

Case in point: Our car was brand new when we bought it about 7 months ago and it has already been serviced because of a software issue. Our particular software problem had been with the button that locks all the car doors; it sometimes failed to lock the rear passenger door. While this is not an issue just yet as our daughter is still too young to be anywhere else other than strapped into the dedicated baby seat, it is cause for concern. When she is old enough to use a regular seatbelt I need to know that pressing the 'lock doors' button will prevent her from unlocking the door and opening it while moving at high velocity. I also like the idea of preventing strangers from trying to get into the car.

Cars are not the only concern. Other devices which we have become reliant upon are also functioning thanks to clever software. Mobile phones, PDA's, and even wrist watches not only rely on software to function but also have network connectivity. Any security expert will tell you the first constant of secure networking states 'the moment you are connected, you are already vulnerable'.

Consider software can be exploited, even remotely through a network. Worrying about the reliability of your mobile phone is rarely an issue. But the thought of what might happen if malicious code is transmitted onto your phone makes you think, especially as more and more devices are designed with the ability to transmit and receive files through the airwaves.

The day when your car requires anti-virus or firewall software may be a reality. Car? Yes, Toyota already have a hybrid vehicle (the Toyota Personal Mobility (PM) Concept) which communicates wirelessly with others of the same model. Consumers beware. Hackers will take note.