Kia and Hyundai's New Anti-Theft Software is Lowering Car-Stealing Rates (cnn.com) 43
An anonymous reader shared this report from CNN:
More than a year after Hyundai and Kia released new anti-theft software updates, thefts of vehicles with the new software are falling — even as thefts overall remain astoundingly high, according to a new analysis of insurance claim data.
The automakers released the updates starting last February, after a tenfold increase in thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models in just the past three years — sparked by a series of social media posts that showed people how to steal the vehicles. "Whole vehicle" theft claims — insurance claims for the loss of the entire vehicle — are 64% lower among the Hyundai and Kia cars that have had the software upgrade, compared to cars of the same make, model and year without the upgrade, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. "The companies' solution is extremely effective," Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI, an industry group backed by auto insurers, said in a statement...
Between early 2020 and the first half of 2023, thefts of Hyundai and Kia models rose more than 1,000%.
The article points out that HDLI's analysis covered 2023, and "By the end of that year, only about 30% of vehicles eligible for the security software had it installed. By now, around 61% of eligible Hyundai vehicles have the software upgrade, a Hyundai spokesperson said."
The car companies told CNN that more than 2 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles have gotten the update (part of a $200 million class action settlement reached in May of 2023).
Between early 2020 and the first half of 2023, thefts of Hyundai and Kia models rose more than 1,000%.
The article points out that HDLI's analysis covered 2023, and "By the end of that year, only about 30% of vehicles eligible for the security software had it installed. By now, around 61% of eligible Hyundai vehicles have the software upgrade, a Hyundai spokesperson said."
The car companies told CNN that more than 2 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles have gotten the update (part of a $200 million class action settlement reached in May of 2023).
How would one make this sans secret sauce? (Score:2)
I've wondered how one could make a vehicle immobilization system that was open, but secure, so security through obscurity isn't a factor. Right now, a software update fixed things... but what about the future, and having the ability to have higher security modes for the vehicle, just in case the software in the future fails.
Since a modern vehicle key has both a RFID transponder chip that doesn't need power, and the usual remote mode where it allows for someone to just walk up and start their car without ne
Re: How would one make this sans secret sauce? (Score:5, Funny)
I've wondered how one could make a vehicle immobilization system that was open, but secure,
Stick shift.
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I've wondered how one could make a vehicle immobilization system that was open, but secure,
Stick shift.
Both of my vehicles -- 2001 Honda Civic EX coupe, 2002 Honda CR-V Ex -- have a 5-spd manual transmission and require a key to start. Also, I have rarely ever used the remote door fobs -- don't even carry them, too bulky for a pocket.
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>I've wondered how one could make a vehicle immobilization system that was open, but secure, so security through obscurity isn't a factor.
GPS and satellite coms, embedded in the BCM, BCM in a place that takes at least an hour to rip out and replace.
Then use a PKI-protected link back to the security server of the owner's choice at time of purchase which authenticates the owner's key when the car is started. Failure starts a constant in-the-clear broadcast on WiFi, Bluetooth, 433MHz, cellular, etc, contai
Extensions... (Score:2)
Could be interesting if we had physical attachment as an adjunct. Like bike locks. Basically add a 3rd party system as a further deterrent. Would make more sense in parking garages in cities, but... everything has to start somewhere.
Or the Demolition Man safety feature ('My car just turned into a cannoli!") as a push button activated 'lock the thief in the car' kind of thing. Though if it really held them stuck they might suffocate (OK, just joking with that one).
Or the electronic driver's license from
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Those are some excellent points and ideas. Thank you.
One can always add duress codes, which could either allow the vehicle to be started, then have it randomly stall and be inoperable, or just work, but keep a tracking system in place, perhaps monitored by a private security firm.
Having the BCM module under the dash is a good thing, in any case. That means it is not dealing with the RF stuff in the engine bay, is in a (sort of) climate controlled space, and it is less vulnerable to an EMP.
I like the idea
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There's an easier solution. The initial wave of thefts was because Kia and Hyundai didn't fit immobilizers as standard in the US market. Europe didn't get it because immobilizers have been in every car for at least 15 years now.
Beyond that, you have relay attacks against keyless entry. Easily defeated by having a motion sensor that disables the key when it is at rest, e.g. at home rather than in your pocket. For the truly paranoid, use physical contacts on the key so that it must be inserted into a slot in
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> use physical contacts on the key so that it must be inserted into a slot in the car to start it.
They never should have been made otherwise.
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One can do that, but security is always a moving target. Right now, it was USB devices. Maybe someone is going to release a board from China that can bypass the antitheft system, and we are back to where we were. Having something in place well thought out and always one step ahead can ensure that this mess doesn't happen again.
Updates pretty much need to happen every model year. Otherwise, this same thing may happen again.
Better way to lower theft rates (Score:1)
If you truly want to lower theft rates, shoot the thieves. Whether it's someone stealing a car or stealing $100 million from customers, treat them the same and just shoot them.
Guaranteed theft rates will go down. Criminals can't criminal if they're not around.
Re:Better way to lower theft rates (Score:4, Insightful)
It's an axiom: People who come up with ideas how to solve crime have no clue how crime works.
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Societies have tried,
[citation needed]
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Can you elaborate more? Provide a link to something? Not that I think you're wrong. I can see how harsher penalties could cause people do be more willing to cover up their crimes... But what's the alternative? Just let them go? This is what the US does with crazy people in big cities when they run up to someone and knock them out. They are released, over and over again. A 20 cent solution seems pretty reasonable when you arrest and release the same person 20 times.
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Certain Asian countries have the death penalty for smuggling drugs and decades long sentences for smaller infractions. Yet people still continue to get caught.
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Yeah, exactly. Singapore is a good counterexample.
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Let's not punish people because they'll get even worse? Sounds like a reasonable democrat non-solution. Let's make the people getting robbed suffer by claiming they were too easy to rob in the first place and force them to pay millions of dollars to secure their stuff better. You've got to worry about people becoming vigilantes too. When regular folks realize the system protects the bad guys things can go sideways, fast.
Re:Better way to lower theft rates (Score:4, Insightful)
Let's not punish people because they'll get even worse?
That's not what was said. The proposal was to shoot car thieves and the rebuttal was that historically that made the problem worse. Sique didn't say "let's not punish". They said "shooting them makes it worse".
Now, maybe you're okay with making it worse, but most of us aren't.
Sounds like a reasonable democrat non-solution.
Ohhhhhhh. You're one of those, that dismisses anything they don't like as coming from "that other tribe". Think on this score: you failed to read and understand what was written, escalated it into a hyperbolic extreme that wasn't there, disregarded the parts that don't gel with what you want to be true, didn't reply with any refuting evidence, and jumped to a politically-charged dismissive blanket-statement that literally says the person you're replying to is offering a solution when the did not.
I'd said something like "sounds like you're a fucking moron Republican", but you said it better than I ever could.
Let's make the people getting robbed suffer by claiming they were too easy to rob in the first place and force them to pay millions of dollars to secure their stuff better.
What the actual fuck are you talking about? Nobody's advocating making victims suffer. Nobody's forcing, encouraging or even politely asking victims to pay anything You're on some personal rant here.
You've got to worry about people becoming vigilantes too.
Yes. Quite. Vigilantes. Those'd be the citizens openly carrying firearms, shooting robbers. Those'd be the ones Sique was saying shouldn't be doing that. You seem to have made an about-face here and are suddenly against the "shoot them" idea that the person you're replying to was saying was a bad idea.
You know what country doesn't have lower-than-average vehicle theft rates? The one that acts like Oprah. "You get an assault rifle. You get an assault rifle. Everyone gets an assault rifle." Pro-tip: if it's got "assault" in the name, nobody buys your John Wayne cowboy micropenis-compensation excuse "it's so I can defend myself."
When regular folks realize the system protects the bad guys things can go sideways, fast.
Mmmm. When folks realize. When the sheeple wake up and realize what you realize. Yup, any day now The Man is going to get what's coming to him.
The only bad guys "the system" protects are C-suite executives, politicians, the extremely rich, and police.
Re: Better way to lower theft rates (Score:2)
Mod parent up. I hope TalonOne reads it.
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Societies have tried, and the result was that theft rates did not sink. Instead robberies, where the victims were killed, skyrocketed. If you are going to steal, and have to fear the death penalty anyway, you make sure you have no witnesses.
It's an axiom: People who come up with ideas how to solve crime have no clue how crime works.
Yep,
The best solution is a society where even poor people are well off enough that few will see any reward in stealing... in fact very few will see a financial impetus to steal and most people who become thieves do it because they get off on it.
But to demonstrate your point, China executes several thousand people per year (no public records are available but groups like Amnesty International put it at 8,000-12,000) and they're hardly a haven from crime or anti-social behaviour. Same with Iran and Saud
Re:Better way to lower theft rates (Score:4, Insightful)
idea (Score:2)
Here's an idea for anti-theft software: catch the thieves, put them on trial, and keep them in jail for a looooooooong time.
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Here's an idea for anti-theft software: catch the thieves, put them on trial, and keep them in jail for a looooooooong time.
But, but ... that would be unfair, inequitable, to oppressed groups like ... er, thieves!
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Followed up with televised gladiatorial combat where they are fed to ill-tempered honey badgers.
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Here's an idea for anti-theft software: catch the thieves,
Hey, you've just solved all crime problems everywhere in one step! All we need to do is catch all the thieves and we're done. Wow, I wonder why no-one ever thought of this genius solution before?
What a load of self serving corporate BS (Score:3)
36% of veichles with the software update are stolen!
“Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI
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36% of veichles with the software update are stolen!
You didn't read properly. The theft rate of cars with the software update was 36% of the theft rate of cars without the update. So if exactly half where updated, you would have an unknown number of cars, of which 100 without the upgrade and 36 with the upgrade were stolen. At that point I'd say it's not a magic thing to stop theft, but almost two thirds reduction which isn't bad at all.
And the article says it only protects you if you use the button on the key fob, not if you lock the car with your key. S
"social media posts" (Score:5, Insightful)
It's worth remembering that the trend to steal these vulnerable Korean cars in America was spread by a social media company run by China, and Tik Tok did not tell the Chinese in China to steal cars, nor destroy their school bathrooms, nor any of those other anti-social challenges. The cyber warfare arms of the CCP and Putin are on social media. Any post pitting you against your neighbor might be from them.
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It does. It does it by promoting the videos that they want to see promoted.
Social disorder videos? Promote! Videos showing democracy bad? Promote!
You have to realize that Tik Tok is the new "idiot box" - where people just watch videos passively. See enough videos of people swallowing Tide Pods? Eventually you'll want to try it yourself. Especialy when the "big names" are saying to try it for yourself.
The big names got there because som
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OK, now how do you explain Xitter and Facebook promoting the same stuff?
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secondary explosions.
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So when Tik Tok promotes it, it's a Communist plot. When Xitter promotes it, it's still a Communist plot. Got it.
Why is Xitter under control of the Communists though? Or are you telling me they're just asleep at the wheel.
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On the other hand, Facebook was used to organize the recent race riots on the UK. It's just that Facebooks is mainly older people, TikTok is mainly younger people.
Now Facebook and Twitter are both being used for election interference.
In all these cases the owners, American or Chinese, failed to do enough about it.
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This is why site owners should be 100% responsible for all content posted on their site. Would that kill social media? Yep 100% it would. Is that why we should do it? Yep 100%.
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It would kill Slashdot, and I kind of like this site.
I assume no details about what changed... (Score:2)
Meaning they might have just changed a private key somewhere and called it good (enough).
This seems like something a government agency should investigate, and publicize how to prevent/fix. Security by obscurity isn't real.
Re: I assume no details about what changed... (Score:1)