We are all aware of the devices in our home that are vulnerable to attacks, from the usual suspects like our PCs, laptops and phones to the less obvious like our internet capable smart home devices, but now we even have to worry about hackers when it comes to our cars?
In the past, hacking a car required a great deal of skill and time. One recent variation was hackers taking advantage of RFID powered key fobs by intercepting their signal from outside your home. This attack still required the attacker to be quite close to your vehicle and security cameras (or even tinfoil wrapped around the keyfob) would be a deterrent, it also required knowledge in how the signals being broadcasted work and special equipment to intercept those signals.
For Kia car owners, hackers have discovered a vulnerability in Kia’s own web portal that allows them to assume control of the internet connected features on the car, including swapping out the owner’s smart phone for the hackers own on the vehicle.
This vulnerability wasn’t limited to a certain type of Kia but could be applied to any Kia with internet connected features, which in total is millions of cars. While the vulnerability Isn’t allowing the attacker to steal the car (yet) it can give the attacker control of the customers Bluetooth, vehicle cameras, door locks (allowing for theft of items in the car) and more.
For researchers who discovered the vulnerability they also realized it led to a rabbit hole of similar vulnerabilities found on a variety of car maker websites, including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Infiniti and more. In a nutshell, the cyber protection available for cars leaves a lot to be desired.
For more information on how these vulnerabilities are being exploited and exactly which car manufacturers are affected, you can read the comprehensive study put out by Sam Curry, an ethical hacker that works towards bringing critical vulnerabilities to light so they can be solved.
So where do we go from here? In general, the more internet features devices like cars or home products have the more vulnerable they are to attacks, and the same protections we apply to our computers, servers and phones need to apply to Internet of Things (IoT) devices as well. Below are three ways you can secure your IoT devices:
While we can’t help you with securing your car, we can help you with securing your business’s technology. At Valley Techlogic, cyber security protections are an included offering in every service plan we provide – including 24/7 monitoring, advanced threat detection, threat remediation and more. Learn more today with a consultation.
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