How much does a car spy on you? Washington Post Hacking Chevy Volt to Find Out: The Washington Post, as part of a research report, worked with a hacker to determine what kind of information OnStar collects (and what data is stored in its car). in a randomly selected 2017 Chevy Volt. Of course, this is not specific to Chevy or its Volt model, but most cars on the road are collecting data about us and us, which are stored in the vehicle, into our navigation system and, sometimes, they are sent straight back to the car. manufacturer. If your car has on-board Internet connectivity capability, your car is collecting data about you, a large amount of data.

Washington Post Hacking Chevy Volt

During this investigation, the hacker determined that the car was collecting details of where it was driving and where it was parked, call logs, connected phone identification information and telephone contact information (including contact addresses, emails and even photos). Some of the infotainment systems in these connected cars keep very personal information (even texting or photo conversations), as well as information about where your favorite coffee shop is or what radio stations you use.

Consumers should consider this type of data collection when they sell their vehicles, use loans or rent a car in which they choose to pair their phones and other devices. Remember to clean the system before selling your car or returning a rental because you never know who might have this data in the future. Take a look at an application called "Privacy4Cars" that helps you delete data about the actions you use but that are not yours.

This gift card you are buying could be a scam target - what to look for before buying

Scammers are making millions of dollars by going to major retailers to participate in a variety of gift card scams. Therefore, buyers should take extra precautions when buying gift cards.

"Look for gift cards that are near, behind or behind the cash register, or those that need to be charged before they can be used," according to Brian Krebs, who writes a blog called "Krebs On Security". author of a bestseller called "Spam Nation".

The popularity of gift cards makes them attractive targets for fraudsters. An AARP survey found that 70% of people plan to give gift cards as holiday gifts.

Krebs said that most retailers and restaurants that sell gift cards also allow them to order these cards through their websites, which could be a smarter option to avoid some types of fraud.

Scammers have come up with a way to steal information and manipulate gift cards inside the store before buying the gift card. As a result, it should take some time to examine the decal that covers a PIN to make sure the PIN is not visible.

Beware of Gift Card Scams: Watch out for these potential schemes

You're not paranoid - your phone is really listening

However, keep in mind that when it comes to decals, "thieves can easily scratch and then replace material with similar or similar decals that are sold at very low prices online," according to KrebsOnSecurity.com.

It is part of an elaborate scheme in which criminals can collect enough gift card information on the shelf, connect to the Internet to monitor gift card account activity on the retailer's online portal, and then attack 01:00 once the cards are paid and activated at the cash register.

"Once a card is activated, thieves can encrypt the data on this card on any card with a magnetic strip and use this forgery to buy merchandise at the retailer. Stolen goods are usually sold online or on the street." , according to KrebsOnSecurity.

Equinor raises participation in Scatec Solar to 15%

December 20 (Renewables Now) - Norway's Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR) said on Thursday it bought a 5.2% stake in Oslo-based Scatec Solar ASA (OSL: SSO) for NOK 754 million ( USD 87.9m / EUR 79.9m), bringing its total stake in the company to 15.2%.

The Norwegian oil and gas company bought 6.5 million shares in Scatec at a price of NOK 116 each, compared to a closing price of NOK 110.5 on December 19.

The acquisition comes a year after Equinor bought a 10% stake in Scatec and further increases the company's exposure to the solar energy sector, said the executive vice president of new solutions. Equinor energy, said Pal Eitrheim. The agreement is in line with the company's strategy to expand its position in the renewable energy market, he added.

Equinor first partnered with Scatec on a solar project in Brazil in 2017, where they developed the 162 MW Apodi Solar plant.