A newspaper headline on the vulnerability of expensive ‘luxury’ cars caught my eye recently. It seems that thieves are now able to purchase relatively cheap devices online that allow them to unlock and drive away with desirable motors in as little as 90 seconds.
The keyless theft of cars has been happening for years, but any attempts by manufacturers to improve security measures appear to have been thwarted by an even more resourceful criminal element.
In fact, they’re not even being called car thieves anymore, but car ‘hackers’. According to security experts, manufacturers underestimate the ability of ‘technologists’ who can identify specific weaknesses in different cars, and then develop a way to exploit them. Devices range from £1,300 to over £5,000.
In some cases, components on cars are easily and swiftly removed, in order to reveal wires that allow access to the networks that control locks and immobilisers.
I have mentioned this before in the past, but such headlines will do little to reassure consumers about the security of other high-tech gadgets, including smart home security products.
If you can hack a £100,000 car, then what chance does a smart lock on a composite door have? I am not suggesting for one minute that any of the smart hardware products that have been developed by our industry are susceptible to being hacked – the majority have been proven to be incredibly robust to electronic and traditional, manual attacks – but the seeds of doubt may have already been sown in the minds of homeowners.
This presents a challenge, but also an opportunity for the industry. An opportunity to partner with hardware firms that have invested in the very best testing and accreditation for smart devices so that you can confidently explain the advantages to even the most tech adverse end user.
Gone in 90 seconds
A newspaper headline on the vulnerability of expensive ‘luxury’ cars caught my eye recently. It seems that thieves are now able to purchase relatively cheap devices online that allow them to unlock and drive away with desirable motors in as little as 90 seconds.
The keyless theft of cars has been happening for years, but any attempts by manufacturers to improve security measures appear to have been thwarted by an even more resourceful criminal element.
In fact, they’re not even being called car thieves anymore, but car ‘hackers’. According to security experts, manufacturers underestimate the ability of ‘technologists’ who can identify specific weaknesses in different cars, and then develop a way to exploit them. Devices range from £1,300 to over £5,000.
In some cases, components on cars are easily and swiftly removed, in order to reveal wires that allow access to the networks that control locks and immobilisers.
I have mentioned this before in the past, but such headlines will do little to reassure consumers about the security of other high-tech gadgets, including smart home security products.
If you can hack a £100,000 car, then what chance does a smart lock on a composite door have? I am not suggesting for one minute that any of the smart hardware products that have been developed by our industry are susceptible to being hacked – the majority have been proven to be incredibly robust to electronic and traditional, manual attacks – but the seeds of doubt may have already been sown in the minds of homeowners.
This presents a challenge, but also an opportunity for the industry. An opportunity to partner with hardware firms that have invested in the very best testing and accreditation for smart devices so that you can confidently explain the advantages to even the most tech adverse end user.
Glass Times
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