Thieves used to have to break into your car to steal things from within it – like the wallet or purse you left inside. Now they can just hack the “cloud” – the place in the ether, wherever that is, where the dealer has put all the information (say it like the disembodied voice in the old BBC series, The Prisoner) it has collected about you, your car . . . and let’s not forget the information your car has collected about you.
Something called CDK Global that almost no one had heard of before the other day – when news broke about the hack – “provides software and cloud-based data storage for automotive dealerships and OEMS,” which create “connections that move automotive retail.”
What all this Kumbaya-talk amounts to is a digitized aggregation of . . . information. Your information. Continuously updated and back-and-forth’d but most importantly, entirely out of your control.
Or even your awareness.
Before news broke on the 19th about the hack – which involves “nearly 15,000 dealer locations” – it’s doubtful one out of a thousand car owners were aware that CDK was part of their lives. More finely, that CDK had all this information about their lives.
Now, they do.
But will they do about it?
The answer is – probably – nothing. Because unless they get rid of their connected car, they will always be connected to the dealer, the manufacturer and the insurance mafia, too. Just to name a few of the “global” (i.e., centralized) information aggregators that have access to your . . . information.
It’s not just CDK, in other words. It’s a whole slew of aggregators and they’re all watching you. Monetizing you. Mulcting you.
The data stream is emitted – and received – on a continuous basis.
Ostensibly, this is a convenient – watch out for that – way for the dealer to keep track of needed service info and the manufacturer (e.g., Ford or Toyota) to update the software that controls the firmware that controls the various operations of the vehicle, without any need to get the vehicle into a “hands-on” service appointment at the dealership. But what does such access imply about who ultimately controls the vehicle – and thereby, its putative owner?
A good way to visualize this is to imagine not having any control over who can just walk into your home and have a look around, anytime they like. Maybe it’s your lender. Maybe it’s the county property tax assessor.
Maybe it’s just anybody.
Because that’s what it amounts to when you don’t have the key that locks – and unlocks – the door and someone else does.
Awareness of this openness is beginning to spread – much the same as awareness spread that people who got conned into taking the drugs they were assured were “vaccines” had not, in fact, been vaccinated. The result of this dawning awareness has been a spreading lack of interest in these drugs, which have gotten harder to sell. The same appears to be happening to new cars – on account of the growing awareness of their connectedness, which can’t be opted-out of without opting out of new car-buying.
No doubt, the cost of a buying a new car – along with the declining buying power of the money needed to buy everything else – is contributing to the waning demand for new cars. But it is probably also true that a growing number of people who might otherwise have bought aren’t buying in to connectedness. They don’t like the idea of not being in control of their vehicle. That information about it – and them – is being silently collected, with all the creepy potentialities implicit in that.
By the way, Tesla is to blame for it.
Elon Musk’s greasy rent-seeking operation that fronts itself as a vehicle manufacturing operation was the first to connect its cars. It was marketed as part of the hipness of owning one of these devices. Owners (sic) even bragged about how they didn’t have to go to a dealer to get their car updated. The update just came over the air – and how cool is that? They expressed gratitude to Elon when he magnanimously transmitted an update to Tesla owners who lived in the path of a hurricane – endowing their devices with more range, just like that!
It never seems to occur to these hipsters that what can be given in this manner can also be taken away. As for instance when a “climate emergency” is declared by the government entities that are intermeshed with the corporate entities such as CDK Global that have ready-access to your . . . information.
And much more than just that.
This column keeps trying to spread the word that connected cars are controlled cars; the person behind the wheel enjoys the illusion of control. That he is the driver. But his control over throttle and brake and steering wheel is in fact under the control of software that controls firmware and the software is only under his control to the degree it’s allowed by those who can exert control over the software anytime they wish to.
That’s what comes of connectedness.
More to the point, it’s what’s coming.
Kind of like what’s coming to those who got conned into taking the “vaccines.” Many of whom have already gotten it.
For pretty much the same reasons, people who are hip to what being connected means are opting not to be. They are keeping (or buying) older vehicles that aren’t connected and so can’t be hacked. So they can’t be data-mined, mulcted or have their driving controlled.
It’s a very safe and effective strategy.
. . .
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‘Years To Correct’: Auto Dealers Continue To Face Negative Impact From Ransomware Attack
from zh comments…..
When I hear of cyber attacks shutting down carbureted engines, that’ll be the day pigs fly. Until then, enjoy your electronically controlled death machines. With cruise control.
This false flag “attack serves a few purposes and it’s easy to see:
First, it’s a straight coverup for declining sales.
Second, it allows the government to point to something so they can implement draconian track and trace crap to “avoid these types of issues”.
These old inventory systems still run on DOS and have more security holes than Madonna had partners. I’m sure this was a profitable hack and they’ll get hacked again soon.
You’re correct in the sense that ALL Microsoft Windows OSs and Server OSs continue to utilize DOS as an underlying component.
Bill Gates’ contributions to the demise of western civilization continue unabated
Yes, you can still bring up a terminal. The underlying OS is different from linux because all the drivers are loaded individually. In linux, they might be compiled in.
The underlying system running a program is in the header of the portable executable binary file. It could be Windows, it could be POSIX-compliant. It could be WSL. With WSL, you could run dealership programs written for Linux, as long as they didn’t need graphics (curses.h). I guess you could make the dealership software in the form of a web page, and then it would be agnostic, but then it would cost 30-40% more.
I wrote a dealership system, a long while back. The taxes are very complicated, the accounting is complicated, the mfr price files are complicated (especially Ford, where each update can be a different format). With each complication, there is another threat vector, basically. Each network connection. Each third-party library. I think that having the DMS up by June 30 is optimistic.
Yes, switch to the more efficient computer systems and reap the rewards of convenience but you HAVE to keep the old system in functional condition and train people to use it as a backup.
There is a damn good reason AM radio stations keep their analog vacuum tube transmitters in working condition and test them once a year… It’s because they are not monumentally fk’ing stupid! An EMP, solar storm or cyber attack can turn their fancy digital transmitters into scrap in a millisecond.
Forget car dealerships. Banks are in the same condition. So are the powerplants who run this nations grid as well as every single complex piece of engineering in this country and 99% of them have NO hardcopy backups or a procedure to keep things working.
Someday this will happen again and it will be across all industries.
Most companies have been sold on the idea that everything “cloud” is the way to go. They are told they can save money on IT staff and infrastructure and they will have less headaches.
Unfortunately, you also have no control over security and you’re trusting hosting companies with your data and systems.
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/auto-dealers-warn-about-negative-impact-ransomware-attack
If the Federal reserve can’t even secure its system, what makes anyone think a CDBC would be a good idea? Ransomware attacks are everywhere, now.
https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/malware-adware/ransomware-gang-claims-cyber-attack-on-federal-reserve
found some interesting info on CDK it was bought out in 2022 by WEF member Brookfield Asset Management. a major global company. and their company CDK is being held hostage for ransom. I doubt it. more going on there then meets the eye.
my thought is it is a major data sweep and they use the excuse of a cyber attack. no one knows and no one questions anything anymore. just taking the media for their word and the media is SO TRUST WORTHY…tongue in cheek.
a major global WEF member has one of its companies hacked and is paying a ransom? really? huh…the only ones who know if they are telling the truth or not is them. cdk. or rather Brookfield Asset Management. labeling it as an attack clears them of all responsibility for the data being compromised and who knows how much damage is yet to come from that breach. i would never trust that company again if i were a dealership.
my spider senses says this was planned. it isn’t an attack and it isn’t an accident or a hostage situation. so many questions. the media will never ask.
makes me wonder what is really going on? perfect way to force the WEF agenda of crypto currencies, tracking chips. all kinds of stuff they can do and use this as an excuse. is there really a hacker involved or is it a way to cover up a failure at cdk itself. no liability that way. blame a hacker holding them ransom.
the official narrative is a bunch of bs i am sure more to this then we know. if a company that big can be held hostage why use them? dealerships all across the country are at risk of the same thing happening to them and their inhouse systems. all their data and info given away for a ransom. every customer. all employees info. car vins. key codes…everything swept up and gobbled up by who really?
i find the whole thing suspect. a lot of unanswered questions.
1’s and 0’s. Digital systems – 1, human beings – 0.
More and more, I am convinced that the digital world and the human world are incompatible. How many degradations in the quality of life we’ve seen in our lifetimes are due to the introduction of digital systems?
Is it even possible to unplug in today’s world? Only at great sacrifice to personal comfort.
I fear freedom is on a path of inevitable destruction brought on by the digital systems that were foisted upon us which now enslave us.
Driving an old unconnected car is just a pebble dropped into the ocean. Insignificant.
I noticed the other day that it looks like a brand new digital transmitter has been installed by the power company on the side of “my” house. How convenient!
A letter to “my” red state governor about the APL’s popping up all over town goes unanswered.
While those who manipulate the digital world towards freedom are made examples of. See Ross Ulbricht.
God help us.
Hackers Demand CDK Pay Millions In Ransom To End Auto-Dealer Cyberattack
This is just another example proving that centralization of almost anything is very bad!
And what happens when the cyber attacks shut down the banks for three or five, or ten days
This is foreshadowing to what life under CBDC will look like.
The dealer’s required to actually run a DMS for sales, service, parts, for every single functionality — even stocking a vehicle, you can’t do it without the DMS system. So it is a disaster,”
Will the industry continue centralizing and consolidating technology?
central control…..easier for the control group to shut the whole car industry when slaves are forced out of their ice cars…..
Torture slaves for rejecting EV’s…shut the whole thing down….walk….
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/everything-frozen-third-day-cyberattack-leaves-15000-auto-dealerships-crippled
Who is Number One?
You are, Number six.
Punctuation gives it its meaning. They do to us because we let them.
OT: 8 new trucks only dumb people buy
https://youtu.be/FPj5Qckuth0?feature=shared
Well for what it’s worth….
I’m definitely “in the process of zeroing my final destination “…evaluating ..numerous criteria for which the highest cumulative score destination wins.
USTT-PR…. Is Super Convenient for a retired “USA , USA” type with a modicum of interest in geography…
Quite Frankly, no matter what I find here
If you live in Florida this island Literally Kicks FLs Ass with Scenic Eye Candy !!
Or check out the word play…..
I’ll take PR over FL any day…. Runway flat FL
can Kissimmee-ass 😂😂😂🎯
Doing the “Ruta Tiano “ today ….
Simple geography….. using the remarkably accurate example of a Nestle CRUNCH bar…
The route is approximately 40 miles as the crow flys…(Arecibo to Ponce) north to south and perfectly displays the location as the seam between the R U on the candy bar.
Will pass by the tallest point in the Central mountains.. cerro? at 4390 elevation..
Typing on my iPhone….so somewhat tedious 😡
Did you ever check out St John, USVI? Wonderful place all around. Mangos, citrus, poms, most every kind of fruit growing wild in common areas everywhere you look. Easy, abundant seafood. A few deer, even wild free range chickens. Best beaches in the world and lots of elite assholes creating a soft target rich environment.
It beats the heck out of St. Thomas, and St. Croix. Even beats Puerto Rico IMO in everything except native broads.
NF,
The First Rule of Expat Club ….
Is factoring in the “self sufficiency coefficient “ of the destination.
To wit…. Both VI s look postcard perfect…
But they are pure 🌀hurricane bait….
PR has lots of protected inland areas
And beaucoup ag.
IMO the Dominican Republic dominates as a substantial “net foodstuff exporter 🎯”
However USTT-PR has “USA USA “ benefits
Almost like living in a US state…
Super Easy, barely an inconvenience 👏
Port-O-Reeko? You think the cops in Florida are corrupt?….
Sorry Big A
, I never said anything about AGWs and corruption 😳?????
I was referring to the astonishingly cool natural geography….
BTW Florida generally sucks scenery wise…sorry dude.. it really does…..🤮
I’ll try to transmit a couple of pictures from the “ over the mountain run “ today….
Please STAY IN THE USA….Adios
👍
That paints a pretty depressing picture. Even if one lives remotely in a tiny hamlet requiring no smog inspection, even if one has an older pre-95 vehicle thats completely unconnected, seems like the biggest danger will be crossing state lines.
I still wonder what was the rush? All of the sudden around 2018 the world improvers plans seemed to shift into overdrive. Why the fire drill? They’d been working on it for at least a hundred years, another 25-30 years and those of us awake or waking up would have aged out and been no problem. Its best demonstrated in their maniacal drive to take away guns. If they had been patient, they would have succeeded without incident. By their own actions they created many more with a spark of rebellion. Maybe they’ve just grown drunk on their own power and their diets are devoid of any fear. Maybe they wanted a bigger sacrifice for the spectacle they’re crafting.
I’m no longer a fan of California or Nevada, both places suck ass when compared to days past, yet I’m obligated to travel there. At what point will it become an existential risk to visit people I care about? A small and getting smaller bunch that, but still, not very humane of the technocrats to put me in the position of having to chose.
There comes a point in human affairs where you get so close to achieving your goal that you can taste it. At that moment when you realize your long-awaited objective is finally within reach, it’s hard to restrain yourself from grasping at the prize before you. This likely explains the behavior of the psychopaths in power in recent years.
Also, the behavior of psychopaths in positions of political power has been likened to an octopus hiding while his prey approaches. Once the octopus emerges from his covering and reveals himself to the intended victim, there’s no going back; the octopus must continue pursuit until he succeeds. The psychopaths revealed themselves to us as such in 2020. For them, there’s no going back into hiding: it’s all or nothing.
Thats a good explanation. By exposing themselves to everyone, even those who weren’t interested, they crossed some sort of rubicon. And then theres the thing about the majority of them having psychopathic/sociopathic personalities.
I know of a song being written that is said to be titled ‘Demons In The Digital’
Now.. that is a catch phrase I have used for a long time, so recently I decided to look it up. Turns out there may just be something more to it. Check this out.
https://theconversation.com/daemons-are-the-programs-that-run-the-internet-heres-why-its-important-to-understand-them-119154
Things that make you go Hmmm..?
ReadyKilowatt the illusion of choice. Years ago, my wife and I spent four months in Montfavet, a small town some 7 miles out of Avignon in Southern France. A couple of small stores, 1000-1500 sq ft, one or two choices for everything, excellent quality, no endless aisles of crap. Found all we needed there, and at the weekly farmers market. Two small restaurants, ditto.
I’m sure it isn’t like that anymore. Even across the globe, everything is corporatized now.
You are being followed, information will be accumulated, you are the target. Money seems to be the motive for the data gathering.
Always some good news out there. The information is helpful at times.
Getty images has 904 photos of Victoria Nuland, a large image of her is 499 dollars.
There are more than 146,000 images of Hillary, so there are more choices, the same price for the large image of Hillary.
Both are sea hags now.
It’ll be too much information, but you can buy a large photo of Hillary and hang it on your wall if you want one, buy two.
drumphish — you are getting quotes from Getty on images of Victoria Nuland?
I am a little bit worried about you. This is not healthy.
Besides, there’s a much better image of Nuland right here … and it’s freeeeeee!
https://ibb.co/DppJCq4
That’s the image I’ve been looking for!
Unfortunately, it now can’t be unseen.
A pygmy female Yeti, pun in there somewhere.
Optics are there to let you know what not to see.
Just relaying information no one needs to know.
Getty images takes and publishes photos of women from Moscow.
That is good optical information. Too much is not enough.
It used to be that “if it’s free, you are the product”. Now it’s “pay a shit ton of money and we’re still gonna profit off of your data/metadata”.
“You’re leaving money on the table!”
This is the mantra of the modern era. It isn’t enough to make money by charging customers for a product or service. No, you have to figure out how to add incremental revenue by selling data. And in many cases, the only way to recoup the cost of the service is to make data brokering a primary source with a “premium” tier for additional services.
It all started with the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, which was the legislation that allowed the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) to carry commercial traffic. Al Gore was the primary sponsor which led to his “I invented the Internet” gaffe. Once TCP/IP networking was open to anyone, the cost of sending a bit dropped by 99%. And companies looked at the math and assumed they could give away digital services and make money through advertising. One is reminded of Cornelius Vanderbilt giving free rides on his ferry service to entice people to visit the snack bar.
Problem is, if it’s your data they’re storing, you don’t want it leaking out. You certainly don’t expect the firm you have entrusted with your dick pic and cringe selfie to tell an advertiser about it. Yet that’s exactly what happened. They told you they would, and you signed up anyway! Free and easy is more important than secure. You can always DIY a solution, but that’s hard and there are scary hackers (at least according to the people supplying the free services) always looking to steal your stuff.
Maybe it’s time to update the old Franklin saying…
“Those who would give up essential privacy, to purchase a little temporary convenience, deserve neither privacy nor convenience.”
We really screwed up. What should have happened is that we’d all have our own Hillary Clinton style servers in our homes, or perhaps every device would be a peer/node on the Internet, no “servers” at all. But because the early days were intermittent dial-up, the World Wide Web (which turned your powerful Pentium II PC into a terminal) and early cable networks didn’t have enough bandwidth to handle a server that got popular, we ended up with this highly centralized and brittle client-server model. It was expeditious for sure, and made it possible for the free-pay model we have today, but it completely devastated any chance for 4th ammendment rights. Once it is out of your hands, it ain’t yours.
I’m stealing this, RK
“Those who would give up essential privacy, to purchase a little temporary convenience, deserve neither privacy nor convenience.”
The thing is, one hasn’t always known he’s giving up privacy in many circumstances. 2 factor authentication is a good example. Years ago I thought this was a legit way to ensure security. It’s bullshit though. It’s just a way to get your phone number (which has now become a defacto national ID) and to confirm it’s not fake.
Another way to get your info is from others’ contacts info of you. Your phone number and email addresses are crowdsourced from saved contacts from your friends, family and business associates. In this situation you simply have no choice in the matter.
Sold as the great God Convenience. All is well, as long as it’s more convenient, as in easier.
They lost me with the remote start thing. I’m not starting a car unless I’m sitting in it. I would really like to be there if it started with low oil pressure. I would at least have a chance of saving it. Of course as Eric has pointed out, it’s gotten far worse since then. “They” can kill you if they so desire, full throttle into a bridge abutment, or a tree. It’s been done already.
Another way that these psychopaths want to collect information about us is through implanting chips in us as well as through CBDCs. Technocrats pushing this crap will likely use all sorts of narratives to make it sound like a GOOD THING instead of something SINISTER. Narratives might include “Safe and Secure!”, “Preventing crime”, “It’s for Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafety!”, “Equitable and Inclusive!”, “Convenient!”, “Protecting the planet!”, “Protecting public health!”, “Transparency!”, “Protecting National Security!”, etc.
The Mark of the beast.
‘their connectedness can’t be opted-out’ — eric
Marketers are all about choice — limited choice. At the supermarket it’s dizzying to sort through a dozen different color-coded grades of laundry detergent, toilet paper, scrub sponges, almond/soy/coconut milk, coffee, yogurt, and on and on. You have to pay attention or you may pick up the wrong thing — vanilla-flavored yogurt when you wanted plain.
But when the dead hand of Govco regulation intervenes, choice goes out the window. Cars are designed around the mandates: the CAFE-dictated category (crossover, SUV or pickup); the airbags for saaaaaaafety; the telematics for 24/7 surveillance. Vehicles become weight-bloated, yet paradoxically, with tiny, highly stressed engines. Rather like putting a man on estrogen so that his breasts swell, but his member shrinks to a little nub. It’s Pride Month, bitchez, and you have your choice of any connected tranny car you like.
How about a honking great Silverado truck with a tiny lil’ 165-cubic-inch four sniveling under the hood? That’s a rather small ‘package,’ son. I sneer in derision.
The illusion of choice. P&G and Unilever control entire aisles of the supermarket. The others are dominated by Nabisco, Kraft-Heinz, etc. Bayer and Monsanto control the seed supply. Sure they have many different brand names but that is just variations of a theme. Doesn’t matter what you buy, it all ends up in the same place. Some would say monopoly is the natural outcome of the free market. But they forget the creative destruction of the entropnenur. But even that has been distorted by regulation and control. Anyone can buy stock, but very few people are allowed to invest. Most people who really invest, providing start up capital or investing in hedge funds, need a net worth of at least a million in assets outside of primary residence, or several years of $200K (single) to $300K (married) in income over several years.
Vulture capital is set up as a hedge fund, and they’re required to vet investors. Not only that, but they probably look for (maybe even have requirements) hands-off investors who just want the VC firm to manage everything and not get involved. So VCs begin looking for the easiest option for ROI, which is usually to polish up a company that is complementary to an existing firm instead of seeking disruptive startups that will replace the old guard.
There is hope though. Crowdsourcing is a viable way to raise seed capital, and there are still angel investors that enjoy the hands-on aspect of startup investing. And equipment is still cheap and getting cheaper all the time. 3D printing and “desktop” CNC are getting more capable every day. Printed circuit boards can be produced in limited runs for a few dollars each, and turn around time is a few weeks. The PCB manufacturers will even help you design your boards and offer advice for component selection. Developing software requires nothing more than the PC you’re using to read this and Github. ChatGPT can help with the drudgery of trying to write ad copy and proposals. And all that can happen in the spare bedroom or basement office. Just need time to do it all!
Assuming one lives in a State without annual inspections the possibility of ripping out all the electronics out of a new car would be very difficult. Although a kit from Painless Wiring might make it a little easier you would wind up driving the equivalent of a ’91 Tercel; not necessarily a bad thing but your warranty would be gone and the insurance company/ lender would be pissed.
What would be needed would be a way to convince the car it’s software was up to date, block all data retention and roll back to the start of the day. Groundhog day- everyday?.
Forget about dealer service as this would void your warranty also. Perhaps if you used a short range GPS jammers that would throw tracking devices off a bit, though I’m sure they’ll ban those next.
These systems all operate on cellular networks. When the next “G” comes along the carriers want to get rid of the older radios, because they are less bandwidth-efficient. So they EOL the modems on these cars. Maybe there will be a recall to swap out the radio, but probably not.
My Cherokee is a prime example. FCA went with Sprint for their connected vehicle services. When T-Mobile replaced the old Sprint radios at the towers, the connected car stuff quit working (although I hadn’t used it since the free trial period). There was no update offered.
Hi RK. So is this good or bad for those of us that want are cars to not be connected?
I wish I was computer savvy enough to reprogram via OBDII the systems. It would seem that there could be a nice cottage industry to block all this data collection.
Most, if not all, the “driver assists” can be deleted…if you know how to hack it. I’ve seen it done by a manufacturer. Granted, all the warning lights on the dash come on but, that aside, the car functions normally as if those things didn’t exist.
Eric, you’ve reported on hackers being able to control cars over the air without permission. So access can be had.
https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2015/07/23/hacked/
[Wow, 9 years ago…]
So, why not cut the data link? Any guys sitting in a dark room drinking Jolt Cola and eating Doritos care to give it a try?
I recon you could rip the car apart and remove the SOS button sim card. Probably buried in the roof headliner or inside the radio/nav unit.
I’d try to locate the antenna cable, disconnect it and ground it out. I imagine it’s well hidden and buried in a lot of other wiring but would be worth the effort.
Part of this connected car bs that tends to be forgotten is all cars still have radios. So even if you’re car doesn’t have a shark fin, data can still be sent via radio. Just a thought.
Hi Not a number
Cant you just pull out a radio? At least in old cars. The mains problem is they wont let you have “unconnected” car in the future. Look at japan. They have speeding limits automatically applied by a car and you are not allowed to drive a car without that system.
And of course the system is not open source and definitely saves data.
5G wireless can utilize the 2.4 GHz “unlicensed” spectrum if needed. A “shark fin” antenna is not necessary for the vehicle to transmit data to the hive mind.
In a suburban or urban environment, the carriers will deploy lots of micro cells and plenty of opportunities will exist for a cellular modem to “phone home” as necessary.