Stealing Jeeps — using laptops
- Texas police have charged two men believed to be responsible for the theft and illegal export of more than 100 vehicles — using laptop computers..
- Law Enforcement said that the two suspects specifically targeted Jeep and Dodge vehicles in the Houston area. They used the laptops to tap into the vehicles’ systems to start them without a key.
Hacking a Cherokee and a Leaf
- Hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek wirelessly hacked into a Jeep Cherokee and demonstrated how they managed to take control of the vehicle’s entertainment system, air conditioning, steering, and brakes—all with someone in the car.
- The Nissan Leaf is the story of car connectivity outpacing security. A flaw in the companion app was easily exploited, which allowed hackers to access the car. The hacker only needed the car’s Vehicle Identity Number to take control—a number which is printed on the windows of all the cars.
Automakers are aware of the problem
- One of the challenges nagging automakers is how to update security software once it is installed in the vehicle. Cyber threats are always changing and upgrading a car’s security software through downloads — much as you would update the software on a smartphone — has only recently become feasible.
- In 2015, auto industry players created the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center to swap information about cyber security threats and how to combat them. Then last October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a cyber security “best practices” guide for automakers with suggestions for building more secure vehicles.