Never before caught on camera
According to a recent article by Andrew Meola at Business Insider, many people are not even aware of the possibilities that their vehicles can be remotely hacked. Surveys taken by BI Intelligence report only 13% of people would not use a technology if it increased their chances of getting hacked. Since 2014, CNN has released articles warning about car hacking, and other outlets are drawing more and more attention to this issue. As long as reports of car hacking continue to occur, consumers need to beware of any necessary preventative measures.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/bR8RrmEizVg” width=”100″ height=”70″]
Five simple steps to make sure your car does not get hacked!
Car companies do not care and they always have an excuse. What do you do now? Do you boycott car technology and throw away your phone? Well, maybe, but the fact remains that many people’s incomes are directly related to technology, so the blanket argument of throw it all away does not work here. Although there is no sure-fire way to prevent your car from being stolen, here are some simple tips that may help:
1. Use a ‘Club’ or steering wheel immobilizer. Then, if some pesky thief does get in your car, it will make their job ten times more difficult.
2. Buy your vehicle with LESS technology, therefore giving thieves LESS ways to break into your vehicle.
3. Avoid buying aftermarket mods that tap into your vehicles computer system.
4. Only let trusted garages and the dealerships work on your vehicle.
5. Avoid plugging random USB’s into your dashboard, unless you have a deep love for viruses.
It is evident that car hacking is a real concern. Phones, computers, cars and everything else is on the hacker’s menu. If we stop upgrading our cars, then we must also stop shopping at Target, using smartphones, and even unplug from our PCs. Hacking is real, and all levels can have devastating consequences. Now the suggestions given seem to be to get active, stay informed, and protect ourselves, which is of course always smart. The problem is really one simple fact; the manufacturers do not care, and we are supposed to work around that fact, and simply watch as they slowly fix bugs.
Just as with cell phones, hackers find a way. I am not implying that manufacturers provide products with the intent of getting hacked. No, but they know, and we all accept with every phone we buy and each card we swipe that there is a risk of our information getting stolen. And while the effects of said actions can be devastating to someone’s livelihood, in a vehicle it can affect someone’s life. With that being said (and hacking being an ever-present possibility), it is safe to say vehicle technology should be the most high-tech, hack-proof technology on the market… but it isn’t.
Some articles, as the one above, say car companies don’t have the same experience dealing with this type of threat like banks do, and thus their anti-hack technology will not be as good. To me, this sounds more like someone is writing for the car companies. With the profits made, these companies can and SHOULD hire people on par and if not better than those helping to secure banks, and the technology should be second to none.
If you need any advice don’t hesitate to give our Portland Locksmiths a call