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Computer System Hack Leads To Disabled, Honking Cars
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2010-03-18
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As if regular hacking wasn't bad enough, a man in Texas took it upon himself to illegally access a computer system and then go after over 100 people's cars. Customers of Texas Auto Center were affected as their vehicles began to honk incessantly, or worse yet, not start.
 | | Computer System Hack Leads To Disabled, Honking Cars |  |
Kevin Poulsen reported, "The dealership used a system called Webtech Plus as an alternative to repossessing vehicles that haven't been paid for. Operated by Cleveland-based Pay Technologies, the system lets car dealers install a small black box under vehicle dashboards that responds to commands issued through a central website, and relayed over a wireless pager network. The dealer can disable a car's ignition system, or trigger the horn to begin honking . . ."
Only as it turns out, a dealer's ex-employee can do the same things if he gains access to the system.
Omar Ramos-Lopez, who was let go from Texas Auto Center last month due to his driving record, used another employee's account to wreak havoc for about five days. The trouble only stopped when the dealer changed all of its Webtech Plus passwords.
The police then got involved (prior to the password change, a malfunction of sorts had seemed possible), and they found Ramos-Lopez after sifting through IP addresses. The next step involved Ramos-Lopez's arrest, and he now faces between 120 days and two years in jail if convicted on computer intrusion charges.
Meanwhile, it's a good bet that at least 100 Texans are reconsidering how much technology they want in their cars. Maybe learning how to wield wire cutters, too. Many people missed work or school due to the incident, and a fair number had their cars towed to have repairs performed.
This is almost enough to make you feel lucky if you lose a netbook or laptop to malware.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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