The auto world has been thinking a lot about hacking lately. For years, it wasn’t much of a concern, but now that many new cars are connected to telematics networks like Uconnect and OnStar and to cellular networks via dongles attached to their onboard diagnostics ports, our rides are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
As proof, consider recent stories about Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche), BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. We have a feeling that this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Volkswagen’s story is perhaps the more troubling, and it’s definitely the harder to repair. That may explain why the automaker spent two years trying to hide the information from the public. VW’s vulnerability is rooted in radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips manufactured by Megamos Crypto. Those chips help keep…