Hackable car alarms leave three million cars at risk of hijack
Millions of car owners were left at risk of having their vehicles stolen, because of the poor security of third-party app-connected car alarms.
After-market car alarms, designed to add an additional layer of security for vehicles, have been found to be seriously lacking – even when sometimes marketed as “unhackable.”
New research by Pen Test Partners suggests in fact that installing a third-party car alarm can in fact make your vehicle less secure, and even open opportunities for criminals to hijack your vehicle. Researchers examined alarms manufactured by Pandora and Clifford (known in the United States as “Viper”). Both produce alarms that can be accessed and controlled via smartphone apps, and are being used inside some three million cars.