Rental cars could be potential data risk
The Federal Trade Commission recently wrote in a blog entry that connecting smartphones to rental car with onboard media players can be a risky move.
The Federal Trade Commission recently wrote in a blog entry that connecting smartphones to rental car with onboard media players can be a risky move, according to FCW.
When the rental car is returned, the connected systems may leave a data trail for data thieves. For example, the car’s GPS can store any locations visited, which could include a place of work or living. If a smartphone is connected, it could show telephone numbers, call logs and text messages, FCW reported.
A way to avoid the risk is to delete the data before the car is returned in order to eliminate the risk of hackers or even the next driver accessing it.
It may also be better, FCW reported, for a smartphone user to use an adapter versus a rental car’s USB port in order to avoid any automatic transferring of data from the smartphone user’s phone to the onboard systems.