Can your Car be Hacked?

Making the rounds in the news are stories of cars being hacked, but how difficult and probable is it?

Usually, some level of physical access is required.

Read it online at Autonet.ca.

Favourite line:

Yes it’s possible, just so long as the attack team includes an elite hacker, probably some level of physical access to the car, a likely a surveillance team tracking you to coordinate the attack. It’s expensive. 

Plus the last paragraph, which is the big point.

 

Blog tag = Auto Security

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Stopped by the SC Congress Conference

SC Congress is a top-tier Canadian annual online security conference in Toronto.

Sat in on Derrick Webber’s keynote, a good overview of the current state of things, and then he simulated some attacks.

The attack is he’s sent the target a phishing email that contains a link he wants them to click (“This is Gmail, change your password right away”). He’s cloned the Gmail login page, and then captures the victim’s password.

The defence against phishing emails and social engineering like this, is to listen to your gut, and to look closely at the URL you’re about to click.

Got some good blog post ideas, some great NFC content (don’t walk around with it turned on), and as always, the cocktail party is the most fun part. Nice to see some old faces, and good meeting new ones.

 

 

A BlackBerry Q10 Review

While physically it’s a beautiful phone, and the OS is greatly improved since my old Bold…

BlackBerry’s security is why you buy.

Of the 3 big ones (Android / BB / iPhone) BlackBerry does end-user security best.

3 small examples:

1 – find most of the features I’m talking about in there
2 – the security section of the help file has 32! items, huge
3 – more feedback and control over

I didn’t realize I missed having more control over my phone, until I did (currently on iPhone).

Security aside, the Q10 made me miss having a BlackBerry. Remember the BBM days? (I’ve had a cel phone for 15 years, see my history here).

Saturday night Skyping.

It was nice to type on a physical keyboard again.

BB Q10

(aside: best part of getting a new phone is this)

Modified my GoPro for filming.

It worked well as my car stereo.

Before I hooked it into my home WiFi, I took the opportunity to change my router password.

(here’s how to do that)

Lastly, the OS.  I had an epiphany about the OS when writing about cars a couple weeks ago… click here to read about BlackBerry’s QNX OS, which is poised to become the go-to-OS for all auto infotainment systems… this is HUGE, this is what could bring BlackBerry back to its former glory.

I feel excited for you BlackBerry; I think this Q10 is terrific,
and good luck with your comeback! #GoCanadaGo

PS – fellow car-nerds: it’s a 2013 Infiniti M37xS, here’s the blog post about it

PPS – Thanks to TELUS for this opportunity

 

Maybe Why Prem Watsa Never Sold his Stock

Guys I think I cracked it. I had an epiphany 2 weeks ago…

I was surfing around, sourcing stories for Autonet.ca, and I stumbled on news about BlackBerry’s QNX OS.

BlackBerry’s operating system is QNX, and it’s poised to become the default software which runs the infotainment in all automobiles.

(Read it online here)

That is HUGE. Because that’s a real problem – each auto manufactuer has their own proprietary software, and there’s no easy way to update it, so often brand new cars have 5-year old systems inside.

Now.

Prem Watsa is an investor, he’s like the Canadian Warren Buffet.

He owns Fairfax Financial Holdings, and is the largest investor in RIM (BlackBerry) – $700 million, or 10%.  And it was always so curious to me why he held onto his stock, even when BB was at its lowest *, why he loved it so. Yes BB is known for security, and still has lots of subscribers, but…

Now THIS makes total sense – if QNX becomes the default auto OS, BlackBerry will return to it’s former glory, and then some.  I predict last week’s software release will be the game changer, though – QNX CAR.

Numberous automakers already base their infotainment systems on it, like: the guts of the system is QNX, then Acura adds its look & fee on top.

Audi, Chrysler… there’s more I’m not remembering…

Acura / Audi / Chrysler / Land Rover / Hyundai / GM / Porsche / Saab

Chevy’s new MyLink system uses it, which won all the awards this year for “best auto infotainment system”.

I interviewed the lady behind it all for the paper in February, click here, and I blogged it was the first system I’d ever liked (to my 500 times telling you never to buy one).

My BB story even made the cover of the paper, and my first non-‘Keri on Driving’ article to, nice.

I was so pleased with myself for figuring this all out, I texted and emailed everyone as much, and documented my smirking here, last photo.


* so I did too. My stock market strategy is: copy the successful guy

 

Delete your Phone from the Rental Car

Otherwise, the next renter sees something like above.

When you pair your phone to a car, your contacts are stored

Contacts plus I don’t know what else.  I tried to write a column about it during the winter, but couldn’t find barely any documentation about what information is saved… lots on how to connect a phone, almost none about what’s there, and how to clear it.

It was weird actually, like I’d found a hole in the internet.

Those are all my phone names, in order:

– BlackBerry
– iPhone (security through obscurity)
– Samsung Galaxy SIII

It’s a 2013 Dodge Dart, click here for my review.