Internet-connected vehicles may pose a security risk if MPs and public servants discuss sensitive informative while travelling in them. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
ASIO has delivered a clear warning to Australia’s public servants not to discuss sensitive government information if they are travelling in internet-connected cars, over fears of electronic eavesdropping and the risk of espionage.
The nation’s top spy agency says public servants and politicians need to be conscious of the fact that such vehicles can send realtime information back to the manufacturers.
Appearing before a Senate Estimates committee, ASIO deputy director-general Lisa Alonso Love did not name vehicle brands or countries of manufacture. She said discussing classified information outside the workplace was always a risk.
That risk could be even greater if sensitive conversations took place in internet-connected vehicles.
“In relation to any vehicle, whether it’s connected or not, we would suggest that Members of Parliament or public servants do not have conversations that contain sensitive or classified information,” she said.
“Obviously, a connected car may have other vectors to gather that information, but those conversations should only ever happen in places that are set up for classified conversations.
“And we would say that people should be conscious of the things that they are discussing in vehicles, knowing that people may be able to get that information.”
Ms Alonso Love made those remarks in response to a question about whether MPs should avoid driving in Chinese-made vehicles.
Internet-connected cars contain in-built SIMs and can pair to smartphones and communicate with a range of devices.
Connected vehicles are among the available options for federal parliamentarians as part of their taxpayer-funded car allowance.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has previously been questioned over his decision to drive a Chinese-made electric vehicle.
But he assured Cabinet that he had taken “appropriate precautions” to protect sensitive information.
Australia’s cyber spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), has published advice about the risks posed by connected vehicles.
“Connected vehicles (CVs) carry cyber security risks that vary depending on their level of connectivity. These risks include personal privacy breaches and remote hacking. However, as with any connected device, the key is to manage the risks involved,” it said.
“CVs have advanced systems that collect and transmit a variety of data to manufacturers and third-party service providers in real time.
“Additionally they can potentially collect data from any paired or connected device — such as image and video captures, audio within and near the CV, location data, or text messages, and emails and contact lists.
“The use of connected mobile apps and services, and electric vehicle charging stations and home chargers, may also increase the vulnerability of CVs.”
The ASD has issued a list of steps that can be taken to minimise risks.
It says to carefully review the privacy and data collection policies of the manufacturer before deciding to buy a CV, and consider the data laws of the country in which the manufacturer will store the data.
“The data may be more accessible there to cybercriminals, or may be subject to laws that provide foreign intelligence services access to your data,” it states.
Other precautions the ASD recommends include:
- Consider the potential benefits and risks of enabling ‘’smart driver’’ reports in your vehicle’s features or services menu;
- Turn off the ‘’share vehicle data’’ option in your vehicle’s features or services menu where possible;
- Consider the potential implications of connecting your smart devices to the infotainment system (especially in rental vehicles), either by Bluetooth or USB;
- Restore your vehicle to factory settings before selling or disposing of it;
- Restore the vehicle to factory settings before use when purchasing a used vehicle; and
- Research the manufacturer’s approach to cyber security when purchasing a vehicle.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
