Hacker "Kills" Cars : Is it possible in India Yet?

NutsNBolts · 18th March 2010, 21:36

Came across this interesting story here Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely | Threat Level | Wired.com

"Over the years, a number of optional technologies have allowed new auto buyers to remotely disable and / or recover their vehicles after purchase, but these devices aren't always optional, and it might not even be the buyer who activates them. According to Threat Level, a man has been charged in Austin, Texas for allegedly hacking into the computer of his employer, Texas Auto Center, and activating WebTeck remote horn triggers and kill devices installed in over 100 cars owned by the company's customers -- all from the comfort of home. After Texas Auto Center reset the offending software's passwords and figured out what's what, the Austin High Tech Crime Unit quickly traced access back to one Omar Ramos-Lopez and made an arrest -- but for many, the damage (in terms of missed work, school and tow-truck calls) had already been done."

Scary! Another form of cyber warfare.

esteemer · 18th March 2010, 21:53

They find new ways every other day. That's scary. Freaky to think what all people can now do via cyberspace or simply the net.

I don't believe that's possible here in India - Majority of Indian cars don't have such devices, do they?

KiloAlpha · 18th March 2010, 21:55

Will it happen in India any time soon? No. Would I like that possibility to exist anywhere in the world? Absolutely not.

Sometimes, I so desire the low-tech approach to cars ... Wish I hadn't sold my grandfather's Mk2 amby ...

I looked at the article, and it is scary and very "big brother".

More interestingly, how about this? GM Makes Your Entire Windshield a Head-Up Display | Autopia | Wired.com

tantragna · 18th March 2010, 21:58

Don't worry, we are in India

. Until such systems are not welcomed, it will not attract such issues. But I think it has started in India, by a few companies who give the option of immobilizer built-in as stock accessory but not revealed to the user/public.

Needless to say, I still stick to the older gen cars with good maintenance (the SS80/97'zen) which has point-set ignition timings. Which are only manual & not affected by electronic manipulations

.

SirAlec · 18th March 2010, 22:04

on't worry it will not happen in the land of Marutas and Juggad. and also where bandwidth which is not even pure 256Kbps is called broadband.

NutsNBolts · 19th March 2010, 08:53

Today we already have cars that offer bluetooth connectivity. A determined guy can easily monitor calls because of bluetooth. I don't see a day far when traffic info will be made available through WiFi. So slowly we are moving towards that era. Today a hacker might only hack into your laptop that you are using while sitting in a chauffer driven car.

fiat_tarun · 19th March 2010, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by tantragna

Don't worry, we are in India

. Until such systems are not welcomed, it will not attract such issues. But I think it has started in India, by a few companies who give the option of immobilizer built-in as stock accessory but not revealed to the user/public.

Needless to say, I still stick to the older gen cars with good maintenance (the SS80/97'zen) which has point-set ignition timings. Which are only manual & not affected by electronic manipulations

.

None of the cars sold in India have remote access. Even the immobilisers mentioned above cannot be accessed remotely. I don't see remote access happenning in India. Although it will be useful for the rental car services, wherein if a car is not returned on time or stolen, the vehicle can be remotely disabled

grules · 19th March 2010, 11:00

OT:
The guy just used his friend's account to login to the company network. How can be called a hacker? It's become a trend to call every guy doing a malicious activity using a computer as a hacker.

recshenoy · 19th March 2010, 12:07

he is computer hacker or not depends on how he got his friends account details! it's just written that he used his friends account detail but not sure how! maybe he befriended and got details then he is a "mind" hacker not computer hacker

sgiitk · 19th March 2010, 12:09

I am sure it will happen. We have a lot of excellent computer nuts. It is only a matter of theme when the black hats (as against the white hats, i.e. the good ones) get cracking.

18th March 2010, 21:36	#1
NutsNBolts BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Jammu Posts: 817 Thanked: 41 Times View My Garage	Hacker "Kills" Cars : Is it possible in India Yet? Came across this interesting story here Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely \| Threat Level \| Wired.com "Over the years, a number of optional technologies have allowed new auto buyers to remotely disable and / or recover their vehicles after purchase, but these devices aren't always optional, and it might not even be the buyer who activates them. According to Threat Level, a man has been charged in Austin, Texas for allegedly hacking into the computer of his employer, Texas Auto Center, and activating WebTeck remote horn triggers and kill devices installed in over 100 cars owned by the company's customers -- all from the comfort of home. After Texas Auto Center reset the offending software's passwords and figured out what's what, the Austin High Tech Crime Unit quickly traced access back to one Omar Ramos-Lopez and made an arrest -- but for many, the damage (in terms of missed work, school and tow-truck calls) had already been done." Scary! Another form of cyber warfare.
	() Thanks

18th March 2010, 21:53	#2
esteemer BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 139 Thanked: 25 Times	They find new ways every other day. That's scary. Freaky to think what all people can now do via cyberspace or simply the net. I don't believe that's possible here in India - Majority of Indian cars don't have such devices, do they? Last edited by esteemer : 18th March 2010 at 21:55.
	() Thanks

18th March 2010, 21:55	#3
KiloAlpha Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Cubicle Posts: 1,616 Thanked: 3,064 Times	Will it happen in India any time soon? No. Would I like that possibility to exist anywhere in the world? Absolutely not. Sometimes, I so desire the low-tech approach to cars ... Wish I hadn't sold my grandfather's Mk2 amby ... I looked at the article, and it is scary and very "big brother". More interestingly, how about this? GM Makes Your Entire Windshield a Head-Up Display \| Autopia \| Wired.com
	() Thanks

18th March 2010, 21:58	#4
tantragna BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 227 Thanked: 26 Times View My Garage	Don't worry, we are in India. Until such systems are not welcomed, it will not attract such issues. But I think it has started in India, by a few companies who give the option of immobilizer built-in as stock accessory but not revealed to the user/public. Needless to say, I still stick to the older gen cars with good maintenance (the SS80/97'zen) which has point-set ignition timings. Which are only manual & not affected by electronic manipulations . Last edited by tantragna : 18th March 2010 at 21:59.
	() Thanks

18th March 2010, 22:04	#5
SirAlec Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: zxc Posts: 3,395 Thanked: 727 Times	on't worry it will not happen in the land of Marutas and Juggad. and also where bandwidth which is not even pure 256Kbps is called broadband.
	() Thanks

19th March 2010, 08:53	#6
NutsNBolts BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Jammu Posts: 817 Thanked: 41 Times View My Garage	Today we already have cars that offer bluetooth connectivity. A determined guy can easily monitor calls because of bluetooth. I don't see a day far when traffic info will be made available through WiFi. So slowly we are moving towards that era. Today a hacker might only hack into your laptop that you are using while sitting in a chauffer driven car.
	() Thanks

19th March 2010, 11:00	#8
grules BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 175 Thanked: 7 Times	OT: The guy just used his friend's account to login to the company network. How can be called a hacker? It's become a trend to call every guy doing a malicious activity using a computer as a hacker.
	() Thanks

19th March 2010, 12:07	#9
recshenoy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mangalore / Bangalore Posts: 1,128 Thanked: 256 Times	he is computer hacker or not depends on how he got his friends account details! it's just written that he used his friends account detail but not sure how! maybe he befriended and got details then he is a "mind" hacker not computer hacker
	() Thanks

19th March 2010, 12:09	#10
sgiitk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,971 Thanked: 4,796 Times	I am sure it will happen. We have a lot of excellent computer nuts. It is only a matter of theme when the black hats (as against the white hats, i.e. the good ones) get cracking.
	() Thanks