Consumers Remain Uninformed on Vehicle Security Threats

June 5, 2019—A study by CarGurus has found that despite the increased adoption of connected vehicle technology, consumers remain ill-informed about the potential security threats the technology presents.

When tested on their knowledge of connected vehicle security, consumers were wrong on half the answers, scoring a failing average 49 percent.

Findings show that most consumers do not know or understand the security and privacy implications of connected vehicle technology:

• 33 percent did not know that a key fob is a potential pathway for hackers to gain access to a connected vehicle.
• 61 percent of connected vehicle owners did not know that a hacker can access the steering wheel or the brakes of their automobile.
• 65 percent of connected vehicle owners incorrectly believed that the vehicle manufacturer is required to notify owners of software and security updates.

While 70 percent of owners have synced their smartphones to their vehicles in that time frame, only 46 percent admit that they do not know the industry best practices on how to keep their personal data safe when driving their vehicle.