- Joined
- May 18, 1997
- Messages
- 55,634
This is a rather interesting story that highlights how our connected tech-selves and our new cars interface. While the reports are not fully fleshed out, Forbes is reporting that Mazda (as identified by Forbes) is collecting a lot of your smartphone information, and then storing it locally in an unencrypted state. Then, with a bit of malware, the two researchers mentioned were able to pull all of that information off of the cars storage and also trace vehicle location as well. All of this requires physical access to the car, which sounds like a big hurdle to get over, right up until you consider the rental car market.
It is stuff like this that I resist using my smartphone for any kind of banking apps. Of course, now hackers will get my sexting information. Actually, both the cars I drive are 10+ years old, so I do not have these issues at all.
Two researchers who've been probing one of the car maker's models in recent months found the vehicle was collecting an awful lot of information from drivers' smartphones, including text messages, call records, app activity, photos, contacts, GPS history and emails. And it was storing all that information unencrypted, they claim. They later discovered a way to install malware on the car, forcing it not only to hand over all that information, but track the location of the vehicle in almost real-time.
It is stuff like this that I resist using my smartphone for any kind of banking apps. Of course, now hackers will get my sexting information. Actually, both the cars I drive are 10+ years old, so I do not have these issues at all.
Two researchers who've been probing one of the car maker's models in recent months found the vehicle was collecting an awful lot of information from drivers' smartphones, including text messages, call records, app activity, photos, contacts, GPS history and emails. And it was storing all that information unencrypted, they claim. They later discovered a way to install malware on the car, forcing it not only to hand over all that information, but track the location of the vehicle in almost real-time.