Vehicle security is becoming increasingly important, as vehicle theft continues to rise exponentially throughout the UK post pandemic. When we think of vehicle safety, the first measure which comes to mind is ensuring our doors are locked and valuables are concealed. However, as technology continues to advance, there are new emerging threats which can allow thieves to steal or tamper with a vehicle from anywhere, even a different country. Modern cars, particularly electric or hybrid cars, are created with internal computers, which control much of the vehicle’s functions, from bluetooth and radio, to steering and braking. So now not only are computers and mobile phones vulnerable to hacking, vehicles are too!
How Cars Can Be Hacked
Car hacking can be mildly irritating, causing a vehicle to not function properly, or it can result in a serious injury. As vehicles now have wifi access or cellular data access, this presents more opportunities to cyber thieves in being able to hack a car. Hackers could prevent you from listening to music, or they could interfere with your ability to steer. Computer connected sensors are placed throughout a car, monitoring things like tyre pressure, engine pressure, throttle position and the parking of the car. If the car’s internal computer is tampered with, these functions can cease to work properly or be disabled. Cars with keyless entry also will contain separate computers for this function. There are recent reports of hackers using laptops to hack a vehicle and subsequently drive it remotely. The hackers who were driving cars remotely in Las Vegas were able to write software which sent messaging to the vehicles internal computers, overriding the system’s own messaging. Security engineers investigating the case, stated “We would love for everyone to start having a discussion about this, and for manufacturers to listen and improve the security of cars.” More so, in late November of last year, hackers were able to steal a large amount of data from Volvo car owners, in one of the first car data security breaches. It is clear our perception of car security and safety must change, in order to protect vehicle owners against new threats.
Securing Your Vehicle
With vehicle hacking becoming more common, there is one security measure you can take to help strengthen your chances against vehicle hackers. Installing a GPS tracker in your car, could help you take back control of your car’s security and your own personal safety. GPS trackers from expert providers Online Spy Shop, come equipped with the ability to track your vehicle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As trackers operate using signals from the US controlled GPS system, they are incredibly reliable, meaning you will always know the location of your vehicle. In the case of a hacking or theft, GPS tracking information could be critical to relocating your car. There are numerous cases of police relocating stolen vehicles solely because the owner had the foresight to install a GPS tracker. Given the rise of vehicle hacking and risk of computerisation, installing a tracker in your vehicle is the best way to ensure its safety.
