In the last few years, auto makers and technology companies have introduced a variety of devices to connect cars to the Internet and use this connectivity to gather data about the vehicles’ activity, but these connected cars gather a considerable amount of data about their owners’ activities beyond what one might expect. In aggregate and combined with other datasets, this data represents a significant degradation of personal privacy as well as a potential security risk. As auto insurers and local governments start to require this data collection, consumers should be aware of the security risks as well as the potential privacy invasions associated with this unique type of data collection. In a follow-up to his 2015 session at Strata + Hadoop World NYC, Charles Givre examines data gathered from sensors in automobiles. Charles focuses on what kinds of data cars are gathering and asks critical questions about whether the benefits this data provides outweigh the risks and cost to personal privacy—the inevitable result of this data collection.

1. What does your smart car
know about you?
Charles S. Givre
Senior Lead Data Scientist
Dark Labs, Booz | Allen | Hamilton
givre_charles@bah.com
@cgivre, thedataist.com

2. darklabs.bah.com
Stuff my company wants me to say
§ The techniques I demonstrated here are the results of my own research. I have no
knowledge of anyone using or not using the techniques demonstrated here.
§ The data I gathered all belongs to me and was gathered from devices that I own.
Please remember that unauthorized access to someone else’s computer or network IS
A CRIME.
§ The views presented here represent only my own and not those of my company or
anyone else.
§ I have no financial interest in any of the products you are seeing here, nor do I have any
connection with their parent companies, aside from having purchased their products.
§ Please use caution when gathering data from moving vehicles. :-)

3. darklabs.bah.com
A bit of background

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Why cars?
http://arstechnica.co.uk/security/2016/02/opsec-fail-baltimore-teen-
car-thieves-paired-phones-with-jeep-uconnect/

5. darklabs.bah.com
Data gathered by connected
devices reveals a lot about its
owner.

6. darklabs.bah.com
Data gathered by connected devices
reveals a lot about its owner, and
most people don’t even know it.

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When this data is aggregated and
combined with other data, it can be
extremely revealing:

9. darklabs.bah.com
When this data is aggregated and
combined with other data, it can be
extremely revealing:

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When are you home?

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0
7.5
15
22.5
30
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Monday Tuesday Friday
When are you home?

12. darklabs.bah.com
0
7.5
15
22.5
30
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Monday Tuesday Friday
When are you home?

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IoT is just for geeks

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A basic car has ??? sensors

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A basic car has between 60-100
sensors

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A basic car has between 60-100 sensors
• O
2
Sensors
• Throttle Position
• Engine Coolant Temperature
• Catalyst Temperature
• EVAP System Vapor Pressure
• Fuel Pressure
• Accelerator Pedal Position
• Camshaft Position
• Mass Airflow (Measures engine load)

18. darklabs.bah.com
These sensors record ????
fields of data every second

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These sensors record nearly
600 fields of data every second

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In the US, on board diagnostics
(OBD) are required by the Clean Air
Act Amendments of 1990.
https://www3.epa.gov/obd/

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In Europe, all cars are required to
have on-board diagnostics to
monitor engine emissions.

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But… the data is stuck in your
car.

24. darklabs.bah.com
But… the data is stuck in your
car, or is it?

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+

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+ =

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The test bed

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The Automatic Car Dongle

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The Automatic Car Dongle
WTH does it do?

30. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle
WTH does it do?
§ Puts your car’s data to work
§ Decodes check engine light
diagnostics
§ Improves driving with real-time
feedback
§ 24/7 Crash Response
§ See your driving in their dashboard

31. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle

32. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle

33. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle

34. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle
https://developer.automatic.com/api-reference
https://github.com/adamwulf/automatic-php-api

35. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle
{
"url": "https://api.automatic.com/vehicle/
XXXXXXXXX/",
"id": "XXXXXXXXXXX",
"vin": “JM1BL1SG9AXXXXX",
"make": "Mazda",
"model": "3",
"year": 2010,
"submodel": "Base",
"color": "#000000",
"display_name": “Mazda 3",
"created_at": "2015-03-15T14:15:32.588000Z",
"updated_at": "2015-03-15T14:15:32.588000Z",
"fuel_level_percent": 60.54
}

36. darklabs.bah.com
The Automatic Car Dongle
{
"url": "https://api.automatic.com/vehicle/
XXXXXXXXX/",
"id": "XXXXXXXXXXX",
"vin": “JM1BL1SG9AXXXXX",
"make": "Mazda",
"model": "3",
"year": 2010,
"submodel": "Base",
"color": "#000000",
"display_name": “Mazda 3",
"created_at": "2015-03-15T14:15:32.588000Z",
"updated_at": "2015-03-15T14:15:32.588000Z",
"fuel_level_percent": 60.54
}

37. darklabs.bah.com
What we learned:
§ The subject owns a 2010 Mazda 3 and a 2005 Honda Odyssey
§ Complete vehicle history (If you want to pay…)
§ Subject removed a Hyundai Santa Fe in May 2015 and replaced it
with a Honda minivan.

38. darklabs.bah.com

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Allows you to build a spreadsheet
of all your trips…automatically.

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Ultimately, IFTTT is only protected by
your username/password.

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§ Trip Start/Stop
§ Coordinates
§ Paths
§ Duration
§ Vehicle Used

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Calculate the target’s pattern of life

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Trips per day
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
84
3
102
126
111110
98

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0
0
12.5
25
37.5
50
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Sunday

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Where are you going?

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Where are you going?
Most common destinations on Thursdays, after 19:00h
• 201 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville MD: 12 Trips
• 2801 Smith Avenue, Baltimore MD: 7 trips

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What we learned:
§ The subject’s work and home addresses
§ The subject goes grocery shopping on Thursday nights
§ The subject doesn’t drive on Friday nights and Saturdays

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Trips

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Trips

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Trips

51. darklabs.bah.com
Path
}`joF`w}rMWK_@?s@?E{DnACj@Dt@VdAx@tAnA^PH`@A~@[nAKF|EJxIDfBJnAdApKZnFt@lUL`E?d@?
l@e@HKBo@TmKrDaC`AcBz@kDlBmCzAsBp@IGQB_AJwAHkBCyFc@SD]C_DEmHX{KVmECcJ?eAH{@NmA
{EhCmBv@w@ZeCbA_Bt@kCnA{Ah@oAJ_@ACtD@xDXbArAlBbA~B
zANrAHzBBz@Nt@FlJFbFNrEz@fLn@jFv@vEfAjFpBnHzHrXvAvGt@tEx@~G`@|
FjA`^b@vIdApLlA`JhAfGhBbInClJ~BpGhB|
DzBvDzD`FzEhFvBrBpA`BzAvBtAjCdAbCv@zB~CvKhBzF~@pBhAbBdAhArBvApDdBlLdFpQrHfFzBlCdA~
Bn@lARlBN`DDlBMhBU|
IiB`J{AnFs@vGi@pEUnGWrVeAtLq@rb@iBrK_@dOi@zOc@bPEfP@ziA@pJCjLB`R?vMIhPq@v^_Cz
qBth@cDbIo@~FgA~CcAtCoA|A{@zAcAtC_C`FqFlDqFbD{G`OcfFqL|CuGq@rAqBbAgAtB}AbCiA|
WcGzAc@xAm@`BaAlAaAfAiAnBoChJuQxBsEdLcV`X_k@`ByD|
M_[pFwLpBsFbB_HjImf@r@iEzBgKdBuGzByHtAwD|@_ChBuDjFcJp@_AfEuFnCsCbPsPpDuDrLgMjEkE|
CcDzCuCfBqArC_BdB{@rC}
@bDs@fFk@pOyAxCg@jDkA~As@xBmAtIqFlEsC`PsJjEyBd@W`KkFx@c@H@H@PIvBcA|
@K^DdHrB`AZXRf@r@N^TR|@|DjBrHnDnO~Jva@lAhFxIt]z@pDjBtGvAvDzAjDdBdD|
EhH~HjLvFfIfErGbKbOpGnJnDlFf@v@bCnEp@~AjBlFnDpMdAzDlBbHtB`HpAjDbDnHnEzH`EnFfEtEdMz
KnTlR~gAr`A~h@zd@~H|GzHtHzK`Mxm@pq@dRpS|DfDzB`BhC`BfDhBdI`DrJfD|
KxDn@RJNHHtCjAjAd@n@`@jA~@~@hAjBjDb@vAH~AW~CcBrKcC|P[rBxDClDIr@DRJVXJ?J@VHR
PRGLOHm@EWj@Ib@e@zAqAh@Op@Cn@Nj@`@p@fEdI|B~EpAzB|@`A@?~O|KfB|@jBRxA?|
Ac@xBQvB@nB`@jBlAbBxB~A`Ez@zBzAgAlAeAn@cAM`@FNFMf@rB|@

52. darklabs.bah.com
pip install polyline
import polyline
polyline.decode('u{~vFvyys@fS]')

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Path
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/utilities/polylineutility
Distances Latitude Longitude Duration
0.000000 39.37823 -76.67073 0.000000
0.008891 39.37835 -76.67067 0.016466
0.011058 39.37851 -76.67067 0.020478
0.017969 39.37877 -76.67067 0.033277
0.050259 39.37880 -76.66973 0.093073
0.027666 39.37840 -76.66971 0.051233
0.015289 39.37818 -76.66974 0.028313
0.019731 39.37791 -76.66986 0.036539
0.028725 39.37756 -76.67015 0.053195
0.036604 39.37713 -76.67055 0.067785

54. darklabs.bah.com
The 60-100 sensors generate
nearly 600 columns of data
One row PER SECOND

55. darklabs.bah.com
The 60-100 sensors generate nearly 600
columns of data per second
• Accelerator position
• What gear the car is in
• Engine speed
• Vehicle speed
• Clutch/Brake position (some vehicles)
• Accelerometer Information

56. darklabs.bah.com
This data can be used to
identify a driver

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This data can be used to
identify a driver
Driver 1: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration
RPM(Thousands)
-1
0.25
1.5
2.75
4

58. darklabs.bah.com
This data can be used to
identify a driver
Driver 2: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration
RPM(Thousands)
0.25
1.5
2.75
4

59. darklabs.bah.com
This data can be used to
identify a driver
Driver 2: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration (Trip 2)
RPM(Thousands)
0.25
1.5
2.75
4

60. darklabs.bah.com
This data can be used to
identify a driver
Driver 2: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration (Trip 3)
RPM(Thousands)
0.25
1.5
2.75
4

61. darklabs.bah.com
This data can be used to
identify a driver
Driver 2: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration
RPM
(Thousands)
0.25
1.5
2.75
4
Driver 1: 2nd Gear Usage & Acceleration
RPM
(Thousands)
-1
0.25
1.5
2.75
4

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Still a work in progress…

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Other uses

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Other uses: Fuel Optimization

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Other uses: Risk Management

66. darklabs.bah.com
Other uses: Fraud Detection
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/automobiles/stalled-on-the-ev-highway.html
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/most-peculiar-test-drive

67. darklabs.bah.com
What does this mean?

68. darklabs.bah.com
They’re watching…

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Consumers do not understand the
implications of ubiquitous data
collection

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Obvious privacy implications

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Data collection is based on a
social contract between
consumers and data collectors.

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If car companies are going to collect and
retain all this data, they only do so if there
is a mutual benefit to the consumer.

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Questions?

74. darklabs.bah.com
Thank you!
Charles Givre
@cgivre
givre_charles@bah.com
thedataist.com