Third-Party Automotive Apps Bear Significant Privacy Risks: Kaspersky

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Mobile applications for connected cars provide various features to make life easier for motorists, but they can also be a source of risk. Kaspersky experts have analyzed 69 popular third-party mobile applications, designed to control connected cars, are the main threats that drivers may face while using them.

They found out that more than half (58%) of these applications use the vehicle owners’ credentials without asking for their consent. On top of this, one in five of the applications have no contact information, which makes it impossible to report a problem. These and other findings are published in the new Kaspersky Connected Apps report.

Connected automotive applications provide a wide range of functions to make drivers’ lives easier. For example, they allow users to remotely control their vehicles by locking or unlocking the doors, adjusting climate control, starting and stopping the engine, etc. Even though most car manufacturers have their own legitimate applications for the cars they make, third-party apps designed by mobile developers are also very popular among users as they may offer unique features that have not yet been introduced by the vehicle manufacturer.

The third-party applications analyzed by Kaspersky cover almost all major vehicle brands, with Tesla, Nissan, Renault, Ford and Volkswagen in the top-5 cars most often controlled by such apps. However, these applications are not entirely safe to use, claim Kaspersky researchers.

“ When downloading a third-party application to control your car remotely, users should be aware of possible threats. We entrust a lot of private information and personal data to connected technology. Unfortunately, not all developers take a responsible approach when it comes to data storage and collection, which results in users exposing their personal information,” comments Sergey Zorin, Head of Kaspersky Transportation Security at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky experts recommend that users:

  • Only download apps from official stores like the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon Appstore.
  • Check the permissions of the apps you use and think carefully before permitting a process, especially when it comes to high-risk permissions such as access to Accessibility Services.
  • Adopt a reliable security solution to help detect malicious apps and adware before they can start behaving badly on your device
  • Don’t forget to update your operating system and all software regularly. Many safety issues can be resolved by installing updated versions of software

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