Disgruntled auto salesman bricks cars with remote kill-switch

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http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/03/3-17-10-carignition210.jpg (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/hacker-bricks-cars/)Over the years, a number (http://www.engadget.com/2005/02/10/saabs-alcokey-brethalyzing-car-key/) of optional (http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/09/onstar-stolen-vehicle-slowdown-hits-the-brakes-on-jacked-cars/) technologies (http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/atrd-m10-offers-fingerprint-scanning-for-your-car/) have allowed new auto buyers to remotely disable and / or recover (http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/21/onstars-stolen-vehicle-slowdown-used-to-recover-carjacked-vehic/) their vehicles after purchase, but these devices aren't always optional, and it might not even be the buyer who activates them. According to Threat Level, a man has been charged in Austin, Texas for allegedly hacking into the computer of his employer, Texas Auto Center, and activating WebTeck remote horn triggers and kill devices installed in over 100 cars owned by the company's customers -- all from the comfort of home. After Texas Auto Center reset the offending software's passwords and figured out what's what, the Austin High Tech Crime Unit quickly traced access back to one Omar Ramos-Lopez and made an arrest -- but for many, the damage (in terms of missed work, school and tow-truck calls) had already been done. Care to form an opinion? Read more about the crime, and WebTeck, at our source links.Disgruntled auto salesman bricks cars with remote kill-switch (http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/18/disgruntled-auto-salesman-bricks-cars-with-remote-kill-switch/) originally appeared on Engadget (http://www.engadget.com) on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).


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