This day and age with technology and networking's seemingly omnipresence has presented many dangers, one of which happens to be carjacking. Not only after the Black Hat cybersecurity conference on August 3rd, two researchers, Don Bailey and Mat Solnik, from iSec Partners--a security firm based in San Franciso--released a video on youtube demonstrating how easy breaking into a vehicle can be using a PC.  During their demonstration they broke into a 1998 Subaru Outback in less than sixty seconds with their computer by finding the car's security system module and bypassing it in order to remotely start the car's engine. This same task, of course, could be performed on someone's cell phone if he or she has internet accessibility...

How are they able to do this? Well, according to Bailey and Solnik, a car's alarm system relies upon cellular or satellite networking where the alarm is assigned the equivalent of a phone number or web address. All a hacker needs to do is figure out the number or address to the particular vehicle. Once they are able to do this, they are capable of using a cellphone or PC to send commands via text messaging to unlock and even start the vehicle.
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Because texts are not easy to block, many networking companies express concern such as iBlacklist, AT&T, Verizon, and Google Voice who all offer text filtering applications.

Although finding a car's number or web address is not easy to find, it is still possible, especially with the increasing amount of tech savvy individuals. Not only is breaking into cars a concern, but also systems that control other compoents of the nation's infrastructure, such as power plants, are at risk as well. This calls to mind chief executive at Google. Eric Schmidt's quote “The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” Until we come to understand the Internet and its' capabilities we will continue to face more and more repercussions. As with many great inventions, although they are beneficial, in the wrong hands and through unjust application, they can be toxic.


Written By: Jenna Elizabeth

Sources:
Isec Partners
Scientific American
Network World
Huffington Post

Image Sources:
Injury Board




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