How To Keep Your Vehicle Secure Against Smart Car Hacks?
Technology has made our lives easier by offering us plenty of smart devices. However, there are some disadvantages of smart gadgets. One such drawback is that the smarter they get, they also increase the chances of security breaches in our lives.
Availability of auto finance services like car finance Brisbane, many people try to buy expensive cars with smart features. With the availability of smart technology in vehicles, there is a risk of security hacks.
Therefore, smart car owners need to become aware of the inherent smart hacks and vulnerabilities. Let us explore some effective ways to keep your vehicle safe from smart car hacks.
Some vulnerabilities in smart cars
Aftermarket alarms
The aftermarket alarms are one of the biggest culprits in smart cars. According to a study, around three million vehicles around the world are at risk due to aftermarket smart alarms. Many hackers know the process to exploit the insecure direct object reference issues within the software of alarms and disable them. By doing this, they can disable the alarm, unlock the door track GPS location of the car, and even kill the engine.
Key fobs
Smart hackers use ki Forbes to gain physical access to a car. Criminals use a relay attack to capture the specific signal of a key fob and use it to unlock the car lock. A hi-tech version of a duplicate key usually comes with a low tech solution. Users should cover the fob key in an aluminum foil to protect its signal from being skimmed.
Onboard diagnostic Ports
The built-in Diagnostic ports, also known as OBD-II ports, allows users to communicate directly with the computer of their car. The OBD-II bypasses all security measures for the mechanics and professionals to the vehicle’s computer for repairs and maintenance work. In this way, it also provides a tempting backdoor for the hacker to access the computer of the car.
Let us explore some smart ways to protect a smart car against hacks:
Unusual working of features
If your car seems to operate with its mind, you need to get alert immediately. For example, if the windows of your car roll up and down on their own, you should turn off the vehicle immediately. Contact your car service and ask them to repair the feature. Also, remember not to drive your car on your own to the service station as it can be risky for you. If you see any of your car features working unusually, you should immediately contact your service station to fix the feature.
Upgrade your car firmware
To keep your car secure from smart hacks, you should never skip and update your car firmware, even if you think that it is not necessary right now. Car manufacturers continuously test and upgrade their software systems for the safety of their customers. You should sign up for all the upcoming updates of your ka software to keep it safe against security hacks.
Deactivate unused smart services
It is best to disable all the smart services that you don’t use in your car. For example, if you do not use the Bluetooth or aux port of your car, you should disable them. Deactivating all the unused features of your car will make it less vulnerable to smart hacks. However, you should not disable any of the safety or security features of your car.
Ask questions while purchasing the car
One should not hesitate to ask questions about its features while purchasing a smart car. More the smart features more are the cost of a car that you need to pay. As you know that you are taking for every feature installed in the car; you should ask about the features like how to operate them and what you can do with them. Ask the dealer about which features you can operate remotely and which you can network together.
Ask about autopilot mode
Some smart cards come with an autopilot mode that enables them to drive themselves using AI technology. A car with autopilot mode can take complete control from the user when it switches to autopilot mode. You should know well when you can switch between the manual mode and autopilot mode. A low level of knowledge about autopilot mode can put the user in danger while driving.
Authorized service stations
Every car needs regular maintenance and service, and Smart Cars are no exception. Smart car users should not take their car to any mechanic for servicing other than the authorized service stations. Whether it is a routine service or any other issue that you want to fix immediately, you should always take your car to the authorized service station recommended by your car manufacturer. Getting a car serviced from a professional other than the authorized service stations can make it vulnerable to smart hacks.
Time-tested smart features
It is always beneficial to buy a car with time tested features. One needs time to test the effectiveness and success of new features. The latest features in a car are vulnerable to hacks and can put the user in trouble at any time. Therefore you should buy a smart car that has been tested for more than a year on the road by other people. It is best to contact some previous uses of the car and ask them about any problems they faced with the car.
Wi-Fi Hotspots
Wi-Fi hotspots for a potential issue on smart cars. Smart hackers will always try to hack your Wi-Fi hotspot and use your internet. Hacking your hotspot also puts the data on your smartphone and portable devices vulnerable to theft. So, if you have a smart car with a Wi-Fi hotspot feature or planning to install a Hotspot on your car, make sure you cover all the details to secure the area.
Final Words
These are some things that you need to consider to make your car secure from smart hackers. The key to protecting your car against smart car hacks is to learn and use only the time-tested features. Also, it is essential not to get your car repaired by any professional other than the authorized Service Centre.
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