Most people are aware that things like their email addresses and online bank accounts can be hacked, so they take great care to hide their passwords and protect their identities from theft. What you might not know, however, is just how many auto-related technologies can also be hacked. From your car’s current location to the keyless entry pad to your vehicle, here are four things that can be hacked and what you should do to protect yourself against theft, violence, or fraud because of it.
Vehicle Location
Many new vehicles on the market today are available with built-in navigation systems and GPS trackers. These are incredibly helpful tools that give drivers directions and may even help you locate your car if it is stolen. However, the onboard GPS, or Global Positioning Satellite, can also have some negative drawbacks. By using new software, hackers and thieves can actually track your car and its movements to determine where it is and how far it has been driven recently. If you have an onboard system and are afraid of theft, take extra precautions not to park it in particularly isolated areas or to drive the same route each day.
Keyless Entry Systems
Having a simple keyless entry to get into your car is a great way to avoid lost keys and makes life simpler for drivers. Unfortunately, it also makes theft easier for criminals. Antennae mean that the space between button and vehicle can be larger then ever, allowing criminals to steal your key and then easily find out which vehicle is yours. To protect yourself, take caution with your keyless entry button and remove any information on it that could help criminals find your vehicle.
Hands Free Bluetooth Car Phone Kits
Most people with Bluetooth headsets keep the car kits in their vehicles to make safe calls from behind the wheel. You might not realize that these kits can be hacked into, providing thieves with all of your contacts and access to your phone’s line. This may result in lengthy phone calls to foreign countries and huge phone bills for you. In order to protect yourself, set a tough password on your kit that can’t be cracked easily.
Traffic Lights
Emergency service vehicles like ambulances are able to use infrared technology to change the lights of upcoming traffic signals from red to green to help them arrive at their destination sooner. Today, however, many individuals are using this illegal technology to do the same thing and can cause accidents or confuse drivers. Stay alert behind the wheel to avoid any problems.
Each of these four things can be hacked, but action taken by you to protect yourself, your identity, and your belongings can protect you. Use these tips to ensure that you are never the victim of auto-related hacking in any form and make sure to get a good car insurance policy to protect you from car theft or damage caused by hackers.
Marie Thomas is a freelance blogger who writes about car technology. If you are worried about the safety of your car due to car technology hackers, then you may want to invest in good car insurance. You can find a good policy at carinsurance.org.uk.
