Connecting your phone to rental car infotainment system? There is a big, hidden privacy risk

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Ford’s first all-electric SUV comes at a pivotal time for the automaker as it restructures operations and spends $11 billion by 2022 on EV and hybrid vehicles. It also comes with a 15-inch display screen.
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The recent data breach that exposed the sensitive information of some 300,000 Avis customers highlighted some critical vulnerabilities within the rental car industry.

Yet, there’s another, often overlooked security risk when drivers use a rental car: the personal data you unknowingly leave behind when syncing your mobile device to a rental car’s infotainment system.

According to privacy experts, this seemingly innocuous act can expose a trove of sensitive information — like contact lists, voice and text messages, passwords, garage codes, GPS data, and medical and financial information.

Cars are coming under greater scrutiny for data privacy issues as they become closer to computers on wheels, with more than 95% of the passenger cars sold likely to have embedded connectivity by 2030. It has reached the level of national security concern, with the Biden administration announcing this week it will seek to ban any connected cars coming into the U.S. market with Chinese hardware or software.

Many rental cars are already there, and the infotainment systems in these cars are like digital vaults that store your information every time you connect your phone, according to cybersecurity expert Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars — and it stays there until manually deleted — making it accessible to other renters, car rental employees, car manufacturers, and cybercriminals.

James Hajjar, chief product and risk officer at Hartford Steam Boiler, an insurer that specializes in emerging cybersecurity risks, said that few consumers are aware of this threat, and even fewer take steps to prevent it. According to Hajjar, 57% of people sync their smartphones to rental vehicles, and of these, less than half remember to delete their profiles and data before returning the car.

Failing to delete this information isn’t just about privacy; it’s about security. GPS data can act as breadcrumbs leading to your home, work, and other frequented locations, said Amico, adding that with enough data points, bad actors can map out your routines and even connect that data to social media accounts, creating detailed profiles ripe for exploitation.

“It would be very difficult to use this information to steal your identity, but it might be enough to identify who you are, identify where you’ve been. And that might be more than enough information to sell to somebody who is going to call and try to scam your grandma out of money by [saying] you were in an accident or you were arrested,” said Clyde Williamson, senior product security architect at Protegrity. “That’s a very common kind of attack that’s happening to people. It’s by far more common than stealing your identity and trying to open a credit card.”

Privacy policies say the customer is responsible

Experts agree that car rental companies need to start implementing best practices to better protect customers.

“Just as companies vacuum the floor mats, there is no reason why they shouldn’t vacuum the infotainment system, too,” said Amico, suggesting that removing data from rental cars should be as routine as filling the gas tank or cleaning the interior.

John Price, CEO of cybersecurity firm SubRosa, emphasizes that rental companies have a duty to protect this information from unauthorized access because it falls under the framework of data-protection responsibilities expected of businesses handling personally identifiable information, or PII. Despite this, many rental companies lag in applying adequate protections.

The privacy policies posted online by Avis and Enterprise make clear that the onus remains on the customer, warning renters that if they choose to sync information or a device to the car (using Bluetooth, USB or otherwise), data from a device may be accessed and stored on the car’s systems, such as the infotainment system. All of that information should be deleted by the renter at the end of the rental period, and the rental car companies state they are not responsible for any data left in the vehicle.

But most customers are unaware that syncing their mobile devices to these systems instantly grants permission to the companies to access their personal data. These policies are not always explicitly communicated during the rental process, leaving consumers to navigate the fine print of privacy policies they almost always never read.

“To put the burden on consumers is not right. When you read those car rental agreements, they say you leave the data in the car, it’s your problem. You can’t assign regulatory responsibility to the consumer,” said Amico.

Yashin Manraj, CEO of Pvotal Technologies, said that while services like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have significantly improved data protection, there is still a long way to go before consumers should feel fully safe syncing their data in rentals.

“In 2022 a grassroots movement pushed rental companies and manufacturers to go beyond the ‘guest profile’ to create temporary virtual environments where customers’ data would be stored during use and immediately purged after the rental period. This would have been the fastest way to resolve all ongoing concerns. Unfortunately, this measure was quickly shelved and dismissed due to no legislative support or fiscal benefits to the manufacturers,” said Manraj.

The lack of regulation in the rental car industry further exacerbates the privacy risks, and the amount of data rental car companies are capable of collecting has grown. “This alone should catalyze major overhauls of internal policies and customer communications practices. The scary part is that rental car companies may not know just how much customer data they are collecting, which means their risk management frameworks are likely incorrect,” said Nicholas Reese, adjunct professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs.

Experts highlighted several potential solutions that rental car companies should adopt to better protect customer info. The most obvious is automatic data deletion, or systems that automatically delete synced data when vehicles are returned. “Automatic data wiping between rentals should be a universal measure,” said Lorri Janssen-Anessi, director of external cyber assessments at BlueVoyant.

In the least, “Customers should be warned of the risks of syncing their devices to rental cars and be prompted to un-sync when the rental is returned,” said Paul Bischoff, consumer privacy advocate at Comparitech.

In addition, car manufacturers should install encryption protocols within infotainment systems to prevent unauthorized access to stored data and rental companies should educate customers on the risks of syncing their devices to rental vehicles and provide clear guidance on how to delete their data.

That could include having warning messages that go off once a smartphone is plugged into a car rental, telling the driver about data being stored, cached, or accessed, said Manraj. Temporary guest profiles that are deleted after the rental session ends could also significantly reduce the risk of residual data being left behind.

At the end of the day, said Williamson, it all boils down to one thing: “Don’t plug your phone into a rental car unless you’re sure it’s worth the risk.”

But if convenience overrules, experts recommend the following steps to safeguard your information:

Steps to take with data when returning a rental

Disconnect your phone from the car’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings. Open the car’s infotainment system and navigate to the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi settings. Look for the list of paired devices and ensure you manually disconnect any that belong to you.

Erase navigation history. Go into the navigation settings on the car’s system and clear out your location history. This removes any saved destinations, routes, or recent searches that could reveal personal information such as your home or work address.

Perform a factory reset on the infotainment system. If you want to ensure all your data is completely wiped, look for the option to perform a factory reset in the system settings. This will restore the infotainment system to its original state, removing any personal data or paired devices that may have been stored.

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  2. Your shoulders can come off the bench when you do that.

    This is less effective for optimum power because you lose tightness.
    That’s why nearly all powerlifters get a hand-off from a spotter once they compete.
    It helps them keep their shoulders back and tight. And it saves power for the actual Bench Pressing of the burden.
    You can’t go as heavy with this variation, however the dumbbell bench press
    does have a quantity of advantages over the barbell variation. As you carry two
    dumbbells, each arm is working independently, strengthening imbalances between sides.
    Machines are ineffective for gaining power and muscle, and they’re unsafe.

    You don’t need to balance the bar, the machine does.

    Lock them once more on the top of each rep and
    when racking the burden. Don’t Bench Press with unlocked elbows
    at the top. Two, you could lose the bar and harm yourself. Three,
    locking is secure when you don’t go previous
    the normal vary of movement of your elbow joint.
    Don’t lower the load slowly to really feel your muscular
    tissues more. You’ll feel your muscular tissues plenty when Benching heavy weight.

    Lower the bar underneath management with good form however not sluggish.

    Raise the bar out of the uprights by locking your elbows.

    Maintain them locked whereas transferring the bar to your shoulders.

    Your wrists can’t stay above your elbows with a large
    grip. They move out which places your wrists at an angle
    and stresses your wrist joints. Some powerlifters Bench
    broad to lower the vary of movement and bench
    extra.
    If you reverse the order by starting at the backside, will in all probability be
    harder to setup correctly. You’ll have less
    carry-over to your regular Bench Press. Simply add that two-three second pause at the bottom.
    The Paused Bench Press is the best assistance train for uncooked
    Bench Pressers like us.
    Don’t Bench Press the identical weight for months. Always try to Bench Press
    somewhat greater than last time. On StrongLifts 5×5, you add
    2.5kg/5lb (or less) each time you Bench Press. You start mild
    to concentrate on proper form and build momentum. When you get caught you
    deload and work your way again up. The app tells you when to
    add weight and deload so you’ll be able to give attention to Bench Pressing.

    To Bench Press heavy, you must Bench Press heavy.
    But your chest must stay up to keep the motion effective.
    Respiration between reps by emptying your lungs relaxes your chest.
    Breathe between reps on the high of your Bench Press. Most
    gyms don’t have plates lighter than 1.25kg/2.5lb.

    Strengthening these muscle tissue helps keep your joints wholesome.
    Samuel points to the basic pushup and compares it to the bench press.

    No, the dumbbell bench press is not a army movement.
    When the barbell is directly above the shoulder
    blades, it’s able of stability. As you lower the barbell, it travels down and hovers above your decrease chest.
    A narrow grip will encourage triceps brachii muscle activation more whereas a large grip will impact your elbow positioning.

    There’s a thumbless grip, also called the Suicide Grip, that
    some people will use as a outcome of they need to look cool
    after they do it.
    By building up your core energy and stability, you scale
    back the possibility of injuring your spine and enhance power transfer when performing urgent workout routines.
    The decline dumbbell bench press primarily works the most important muscular tissues of the lower pectoralis.

    Begin with a weight that allows you to complete reps with proper kind.

    As you get stronger, progressively improve the burden.
    Both are ineffective for Bench Urgent heavy weights.
    Press the bar away out of your mid-chest over your shoulder joints by
    flaring your elbows on the way up. Hold the bar in the base of
    your palm, close to your wrists. Don’t maintain it near your fingers like on the Deadlift or your wrists will bend again. Bent wrists additionally make the weight more durable to bench as a outcome of the bar is additional from your wrists.
    This is dangerous leverage and bad energy switch. Grip the bar low palm so it rests over your wrists and elbows.

    Additionally, dumbbells permit for larger freedom of motion than the Barbell Shoulder
    Press. Consequently, the larger freedom of motion will increase your
    shoulder muscle activation. And can be very useful for individuals
    with shoulder accidents since the dumbells are far less tense to the shoulder joint.

    You need to apply and fall asleep, the mind will rewire, and
    you’ll magically be doing it higher the subsequent time.
    It’s not in distinction to learning how to dance or learning an instrument.
    You might feel a bit clumsy for a quantity of sessions, and also you go
    to mattress, and abruptly, you can do it. After going over the fundamentals of the bench press, there are some good progressions and assistance workouts you’ll be able to reap the advantages of.

    Too a lot weight directly may trigger injuries.
    Mastering the reverse grip dumbbell press and  rising your total energy
    and mobility may help alleviate decrease again pain. Keep
    your core tight and your back straight, and take it straightforward when you’re just getting started with a new exercise.

    Seize a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a flat bench, and rest the dumbbells in your thighs.
    You can also discover that urgent with a neutral (palms in) grip feels better on your shoulders.
    This is especially necessary within the backside of the press when your shoulders are at their most weak position.
    Over time, this train will turn out to be a cornerstone
    of your higher physique exercises, helping you achieve your health objectives whereas
    building confidence and energy. Start by grabbing a pair of dumbbells
    and lying on your back along with your knees bent
    and your ft flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows.

    The method works no matter whether you use dumbbells or barbells.
    “Shoulder accidents are common on the bench, and very often, that is due to poor shoulder position.” And
    having injured my shoulder doing the Bench Press mistaken, I can inform you from experience that you have to
    know what you’re doing. Continuing with the purpose above,
    let’s maintain the chest where it is and plug those power leaks by keeping the core
    tight. First, you wish to pull your shoulder blades down and again while maintaining a
    neutral backbone. That’s why you want to have them underneath of your
    knees. When you seize the bar from underneath,
    the bar is decrease in your hand, and you may wrap around
    to the proper place.
    Hold the distance between your Energy Rack and shoulders short.
    Lie in your bench with your eyes beneath the bar. Don’t lie lower or you’ll have to maneuver the
    bar additional to unrack it. You have no strength when the bar
    is over your head and behind your balance level. And lower the uprights so your arms are bent whenever you seize the bar.

    Your shoulders can’t come off the bench if you unrack. Don’t Bench Press it straight into the uprights when your set is over.

    The seated dumbbell press is a pushing exercise. When doing reps
    of dumbbell presses, you employ the identical muscle tissue
    you’d when pushing against an object. It focuses on the chest, triceps, and
    shoulders.
    Wrap your thumbs across the bar utilizing the full grip.
    This increases Bench Press power because your arms and
    shoulders contract more durable too (hyper radiation).
    If your wrists damage, cease bending them by gripping
    the bar lower in your palms. Benching heavy dumbbells with out spotter is type of unimaginable.

    This train can turn out to be harmful if the dumbbells are too
    heavy and surpass their grip power. Performing the train incorrectly can lead
    to injuries to the pectorals or shoulders.
    Using too much weight can tear the pectoralis main muscular tissues
    or overload the shoulders and harm the joint. To prevent injury, lifters want to use
    correct type and only use as a lot weight as
    they’ll safely manage. Most of the accidents stem from utilizing too much
    weight or poor type.
    Whereas the incline dumbbell press predominantly works the higher pectoral muscular tissues, it additionally engages
    the deltoids and the triceps. This triad of muscle engagement ensures a extra rounded and complete
    upper body exercise. The incline bench press also shifts the focus to
    the higher portion of the chest, an space usually neglected by flat bench workouts.
    A well-developed upper chest not solely improves aesthetics but
    also contributes to better general chest power. 2) The incline angle adjustments the
    way your urgent muscular tissues contract which shifts the burden to your
    upper chest and shoulder muscular tissues more than a flat bench press.

    Make positive you are utilizing correct form earlier than loading the bar with heavier weights.
    Bench presses with unhealthy form are less doubtless to help you build energy and are extra probably to cause damage.
    Each bench press workouts can build muscle mass in the chest.

    The flat bench press is best for total muscle gains, because it engages the middle
    and decrease parts of the chest. The incline press may help
    with muscle imbalances, target the upper chest, and assist you to develop a fuller
    chest. The incline dumbbell press primarily engages the
    upper chest muscle tissue alongside the front deltoids within the shoulders and triceps.
    Larger incline angles, closer to forty five degrees, interact the shoulders extra.

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