CAR HACKING ON THE RISE! HOW TO PREVENT CAR HACKING

Car hacking is on the rise, with thousands of cars being stolen in London, UK alone. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your car being hacked.

In a recent crime report The Metropolitan Police reported around 21,000 cars were stolen in London and another 68,000 were broken into – that’s an incredible 89,000 cars stolen and broken into in one year. And more than half of these break-ins and thefts were down to car hacking – meaning that criminals were able to break in and steal cars without using physical force. What’s also frightening is the speed with which they were able to make off with a car – in under 10 seconds!

Car hackers can easily hack into a car’s security system and then program a blank key, and start the engine without the need of a physical key, according to The Sunday Times. You can find out more about how thieves can break into your car at The Sunday Times Driving.

The London Evening Standard reported recently that car hacking is so prevalent in some areas of London that criminals are turning their attention to luxury cars such as BMW’s and Range Rovers. So much so, that police in the affluent borough of Kensington and Chelsea began to stop any driver of a luxury car after midnight, to verify that they are indeed the rightful owner.

What is car hacking?

Many luxury cars are fitted with a wireless network or Bluetooth which car hackers exploit to access a car’s internal computer. What may come as a surprise to some is that in a modern day car, according to Mr Corman, a spokesman for grassroots group I Am The Cavalry (IATC), told the BBC that up to 200 Electronic Control Units (ECU’s) are embedded in a vehicle. These mini computers perform  important functions including the braking system, acceleration, and the airbag.

These mini computers communicate with one another, passing on information such as monitoring the journey a car takes, keeping a record and storing the data in the computers memory system. Data from the airbag, for example, can indicate that a collision is imminent, this information is sent to the main computer, and the airbag is  deployed.

Edmund King, president of the AA, told The Times “You are now getting cars that are connected to the internet 24 hours a day. If cybercriminals targeted automobiles like they’re targeting other things we’d be in for a hard and fast ride.” He added, “the more cars rely on technology, particularly remote technology, the more there is to get at.”

Our need to stay connected, whether by phone, laptop or car, brings a smile to many a criminals face. As technological capabilities expand, so do the abilities of car hackers,  and criminals – it’s a serious cat-and-mouse game. A spokesperson for BMW speaking to the Daily Mail said “It’s a technology race between ourselves and the criminal gangs.”

And if that’s not bad enough, car hackers and criminals could also be able to listen in on our conversations, by switching on car microphones, according to Jacques Louw of MWR security.

But, what can you do to prevent your car from being hacked? Norton and the London Metropolitan Police have a number of recommendations.

5 steps to prevent your car being hacked

• Remember crook locks? Well, the Metropolitan London police recommend using this simple security measure to secure your car
• Use car tracking devices
• Keep your car in a secure place, for example, a garage or a safe area under CCTV surveillance
• Only trust reputable car dealers and repair stores – you certainly don’t want unscrupulous garages meddling with your car’s computer systems
• Don’t be afraid to ask the car dealer about the car’s wireless systems. Ask them whether the systems can be operated remotely

For more ways to prevent your car from being hacked check the Norton website and more information can be found by visiting the London Metropolitan police website.

And don’t forget that you can easily bolster the security on your PC, MAC, Android or iPhone with HMA! Pro VPN – the best VPN provider on the market. Check out our website for more information on HMA! Pro VPN and also check out our great tips on Wi-Fi safety!

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider