Event data recorders to be in all new cars starting this year

For years, new car owners have had their data recorded by a little black box similar to the one found in airplanes, but starting with 2011 models, automakers will be required to tell buyers of the presence of these recorders in their cars.

According to CarInsurance.com, event data recorders typically erase driver[, such as their speed and whether their seatbelt is fastened, unless an accident occurs, then the data is stored for use in investigations by attorneys and car insurance representatives.

"EDRs can provide information about a crash that can't be obtained through more traditional investigation techniques," Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in a statement. "Police, crash investigators, automakers, insurance adjusters, and highway safety researchers can use this information to analyze what occurred during a crash."

Roughly 65 to 90 percent of new cars were equipped with EDRs in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to After Market News, Mazda Motor and Bosch recently entered into a license agreement that would allow Bosch to access EDR information from the Mazda system. The partnership will allow Mazda cars to benefit from the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval tool, which is used by law enforcement, government agencies and insurance companies.

Source;
http://www.fundingway.com/news/624187/event-data-recorders-to-be-in-all-new-cars-starting-this-year/

For more info on EDR's follow the link below;
Event Data Recorders - Technical Report
What are they? Which automakers fit them? And are these devices friend or foe?
By Dennis Simanaitis @ Road & Track
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-news/tech/event-data-recorders

Hackers break into Subaru Outback via text message

By Christopher Trout posted Aug 4th 2011 5:17PM

We've already seen SCADA systems controlled by Google Search, and now the Black Hat Technical Security Conference is offering up yet another slice of cringe-inducing hacker pie. A pair of pros from iSec Partners security firm was able to unlock and start the engine of a Subaru Outback using an Android phone and a process they call war texting. By setting up their own GSM network, they were able to snatch up password authentication messages being sent from server to car, allowing them the option to ride off in a brand new crossover. Apparently, your car isn't the only thing in danger of a war-texting takeover, however, as the team says there are a slew of devices and systems, accessible over telephone networks, that are vulnerable to similar attacks, including A-GPS tracking devices, 3G security cameras, SCADA sensors -- and thus the power grid and water supply -- home automation, and urban traffic control systems. Somehow this group of otherwise innocent looking New York texters appears a whole lot more sinister now.

Source (via www.autoblog.com);
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/hackers-break-into-subaru-outback-via-text-message/