A drive system controller that improves the level of security for a vehicle. A main microcomputer activates an image recognizer when wireless communication is established with a portable device. The image recognizer images a vehicle occupant to generate image data and uses the image data to verify whether the vehicle occupant is an authorized user. The main microcomputer enables the starting of the engine when wireless communication with the portable device is established and the image recognizer verifies that the vehicle occupant is an authorized user.