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We highlight the most important and valuable trends in the automotive security industry

2022-05-31

11 tips on how to protect your car

Angelica Rizaeva

Use our guide below to learn which measures you should take to safeguard your life and enhance the protection of your vechile

How to protect your own car from a cyber incident?
 
It is a huge responsibility of car owners to minimize their risks and maximize the safety and security of a connected car. Use our guide below to learn which measures you should take to safeguard your life and enhance the protection of your vehicle:
 
 

1. Perform the latest updates.
Keep your systems up to date and stay in touch with your car’s manufacturer. We all know out-of-date system can be vulnerable.

2. Trust only authorized service centers.
Firmware updates should be performed only in authorized service centers, otherwise you risk damaging your car and voiding its warranty. At the moment, over-the-air software updates are only available for a limited number of car models.

3. Keep your smartphone up to date.
Keep your smartphone’s operating system and apps up to date; updates are often released to fix possible security vulnerabilities that could allow cyber criminals to access your phone. 

4. Set password on your smartphone.
If you’re planning to use your smartphone to make payments connected to your car, such as parking or road toll fees, make sure your phone is password protected. 

5. Use strong passwords for in-vehicle Wi-Fi.
Whenever you use your car’s built-in Wi-Fi, change the default password, and never keep the new password written down inside the car.

6. Remove default credentials.
Always change default access credentials on your services. Check manuals and security guidelines for applications and services you use.

7. Enable only required functionality.
Double-check and allow only required functionality and access on your apps. Do not leave applications or services you use in the default configuration.

8. Block exposed ports on desktop apps.
Check what network ports are exposed to the internet by your desktop apps and close or block, by means of firewall, the ones you don’t need to use.

9. Turn off Wi-Fi.
Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in your car when you are not using them.

10. Avoid public Wi-Fi.
Do not use public Wi-Fi networks for performing critical online activities, such as remote control of your vehicles.

11. Change the home address in your car’s sat nav system.
As an alternative to setting your home address to your house, you should consider setting a shortcut to a nearby junction or to the nearest motorway exit, if you don’t want to expose where exactly you live.

 

Author: Angelica Rizaeva, Head of Marketing, PCAutomotive

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