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Watch thief steal Jeep Wrangler with laptop

Advancements in technology, especially those in the automotive sector, have made cars safer, easier to drive, and harder than ever to steal. But a recent incident in Houston, TX, reveals that the latest generation of hackers and thieves knows how to use modern tech for their own nefarious devices. A car thief was caught on camera using a small computer to pilfer a 2010 Jeep Wrangler parked in its owner's driveway. The video shows a man entering the Wrangler and after a few minutes on the laptop, driving away in the vehicle. According to the Wall Street Journal, Houston police believe the same method could have been used on four other occasions involving late-model Wranglers and Cherokees. While the short clip looks like something out of a movie, this isn't the first time a Jeep has been hacked. The theft took the pair of thieves roughly 13 minutes from the time the first person opens the hood (not shown) to when the car leaves the driveway. Alarmingly, the Houston police department isn't sure what the laptop is being used for, the Journal reports. A Fiat Chrysler official told the newspaper that the thieves in the Houston incident might be using tools that only dealers have access to, which would allow them to pair another key fob to the vehicle. While that explains how they got into the vehicle, it still doesn't explain how a laptop could be used to get the vehicle running – especially when automakers ( Fiat Chrysler, Tesla, and General Motors) have altered their cars' electronics to reduce hacking. Theft rates have dropped by 96 percent since 1990, according to The New York Times, but recent events show thieves are making their own advances, prompting increased cyber protection efforts from automakers, auto-parts suppliers, and the government. It will come into focus later this month when US Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx, Lyft CEO and co-founder Logan Green, and General Motors' chairman and CEO Mary Barra speak at a cybersecurity summit in Detroit. Related Video: News Source: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Wire, YouTube Jeep Technology SUV Off-Road Vehicles Videos viral video hacking thieves

2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is coming, and it's trivia time | Autoblog Podcast #629

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. The big news this week is the new Mustang Mach 1 that Ford teased as a new track toy. John has been driving a Subaru Outback alongside their long-term Forester. Byron has been enjoying a Jeep Gladiator. Greg has been piloting a Toyota Corolla Hatchback as well as a new Highlander.  Greg tries to stump the other editors with some automotive trivia — see if you can answer (no cheating) in the comments section below. Then they talk about car movies they've been watching during quarantine and their favorite orphan car brands. Finally, they help a listener in The Netherlands pick a new electric crossover. Got any automotive trivia questions you want to hear on the podcast? Some (in)famous figure in the industry, a random fact about a car or a brand, racing history ... it can be straightforward or totally off-the-wall. Send those — along with your Spend My Money requests — to Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #629 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is coming Cars we're drivingSubaru Outback vs. Forester Jeep Gladiator Toyota Corolla Hatchback Toyota Highlander Automotive trivia Side topic: remember this guy? Best car movies for quarantine Best orphan brands Spend My Money: EV crossovers Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Weekly Recap: Hackers demonstrate auto industry's vulnerability

There's always been a certain risk associated with driving, and this week cyber security came into focus as the latest danger zone when researchers demonstrated how easily they could hack into a 2014 Jeep Cherokee from across the country. The incident raised concerns over the vulnerability of today's cars, many of which double as smartphones and hot spots. During the now-infamous experiment, Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller infiltrated the Jeep's cellular connection and were able to control the infotainment system, brakes, and other functions. The hackers told the Jeep's maker, FCA US, of their findings last year, the company devised a software fix. Though Valesek and Miller hacked a Cherokee (like the one shown above), several FCA products, including recent versions of the Ram, Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, and Viper were also affected, illustrating potentially wide exposure that could reverberate across the sector. "For the auto industry, this is a very important event and shows that cyber-security protection is needed even sooner than previously planned," Egil Juliussen, senior analyst and research director for IHS Automotive, wrote in a research note. "Five years ago, the auto industry did not consider cyber security as a near-term problem. This view has changed." Hours after the Cherokee hacking incident was publicized on Tuesday, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) introduced legislation to direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Trade Commission to establish national standards for automotive cyber security. The bill also would require vehicles to have a cyber-rating system to alert consumers how well their cars' privacy and security are defended. "Drivers shouldn't have to choose between being connected and being protected," Markey said in a statement. "We need clear rules of the road that protect cars from hackers and American families from data trackers." Though FCA and its Jeep Cherokee were in the spotlight this time, they were just the latest to showcase how automotive technology has advanced faster than safety and regulatory measures. IHS forecasts 82.5 million cars will be connected to the internet by 2022, which is more than three times today's level. "Cyber-security will become a major challenge for the auto industry and solutions are long overdue," Juliussen said.