Luxembourg (Europe)

New key systems allows car owners to enter and start their vehicle without ever touching a key. But the technology is not entirely safe. That is why two ICT experts from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg partnered up with Honda R&D Europe to address security vulnerabilities.

Prof. Thomas Engel and Dr Florian Adamsky signed a 30.000 euro grant agreement with the automotive giant in the Spring of 2017 to collaborate on secure key systems.

Security risks of remote unlocking

Much like contactless payments, the new key technology lets individuals unlock their cars just by getting close to it. Conversely, walking away from a vehicle locks it. The only security measure is thus the limited range of key systems that is about 10 meters.

Car thieves can buy off-the-shelf products from the black market to amplify the key signal. This enables them to unlock and start the car and drive away while its owner is just a few meters away. It is such a clean theft that no traces are effectively left behind, making a claim with insurance difficult to nearly impossible.

Unknown to most car owners, passive key entry systems carry this new kind of vulnerability that causes major headaches to insurance companies and authorities. The so-called relay attacks have been around since 2011, but the problem has been growing exponentially and gaining increased attention. Several automobile clubs have begun alerting the population (in German), such as the German automobile club (ADAC).

 

Learn more / En savoir plus / Mehr erfahren:

 

http://www.scoop.it/t/luxembourg-europe/?&tag=University+Luxembourg

 

http://www.scoop.it/t/securite-pc-et-internet/?&tag=Cars