BMW Says CAR KEYS May Be Replaced by Smartphone App...

[TXSTYLE]

Cyber crimes including but not limited to Hacking is and will continue to be on the rise. Having a fob that is programmed specifically to your vehicle is much more secure than a app. Convenient? Sure. Wise? Not so sure.
Cyber thieves are continually breaking into devices and stealing personal info including pictures, and personal info from apps. I only carry my fob with me anyway instead of a bunch of keys. So it's not bulky or an issue with me.
Thoughts?

FRANKFURT, Germany — BMW is reviewing the necessity of car keys, Ian Robertson, the company's board member responsible for sales, told Reuters.

The fact that customers now all carry a smartphone and the availability of a BMW app, which allows customers to unlock their vehicle, has made old-fashioned keys less relevant.

"Honestly, how many people really need it?" Robertson said in an interview at the Frankfurt car show, given that customers no longer had to put the key in the ignition to make the car start.

"They never take it out of their pocket, so why do I need to carry it around?," Robertson said, adding that the company was looking at getting rid of keys altogether.

"We are looking at whether it is feasible, and whether we can do it. Whether we do it right now or at some point in the future, remains to be seen," Robertson said.

This, of course, is reminiscent of Tesla's plans for the Model 3, in which owners can open and operate the car either with a key card from their wallet or with a smartphone app.

https://www.autoblog.com/2017/09/15/...usauto00000016

[MaximusJ]

Lets see what the real decision makers on that matter; also called insurance companies, have to say about that.

[TrevorM3]

i actually still use my key to actually press unlock/lock etc

never got used to the keyless go etc

[eluded]

Car keys and fobs are so 2016

[Crimson92]

Sure. Until my phone dies.

Then no.

[allinon72]

Uhhh....if it's anything like the ConnectedDrive app, no thanks.

[Haywood]

I do believe this will happen. There's already wi-fi in cars and they weren't designed with security in mind. Being a cyber security professional, this IoT stuff scares the hell out of me. Refrigerators, cars, etc are becoming more and more wi-fi enabled for convenience and ease of use for consumers. Again, Samsung and LG are not in the security protection business so it's an after thought. That's why hackers are loving the IoT explosion. I guarantee if this does become a reality in many vehicles, the number of stolen cars will spike to ridiculous levels.

[elistan]

Would it require unlocking the phone? That would be annoying. But more secure.

If the car unlocks based on simple proximity of the phone, it's no worse than carrying a fob, an eliminates carrying a dedicated device. Running out of battery could indeed be an issue, however.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by Haywood

Being a cyber security professional, this IoT stuff scares the hell out of me. Refrigerators, cars, etc are becoming more and more wi-fi enabled for convenience and ease of use for consumers

Agreed, the fate of the furious really opened my eyes to how easy automobiles can be hacked.

[Haywood]

Originally Posted by elistan

Would it require unlocking the phone? That would be annoying. But more secure.

If the car unlocks based on simple proximity of the phone, it's no worse than carrying a fob, an eliminates carrying a dedicated device. Running out of battery could indeed be an issue, however.

Yes, but think about all the smartphones out there. Not trying to start an Android vs. Apple war (plenty of threads for that), but it is a fact that Android phones are easily hacked because of the open architecture and the lack of signed apps.

[allinon72]

Originally Posted by Haywood

Yes, but think about all the smartphones out there. Not trying to start an Android vs. Apple war (plenty of threads for that), but it is a fact that Android phones are easily hacked because of the open architecture and the lack of signed apps.

Since it seems like BMW Technology department consists of a part time guy that comes in on Wednesdays every week and delivers pizzas on the weekend, they'll probably release it for Blackberry only.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Crimson92

Sure. Until my phone dies.

Then no.

And I often drive without my phone. Just want to move the car out of the driveway? Oops, where's my phone.

[PoorLurker]

I hope they put a phone charger on the outside then, ahah

Or put wireless charging close enough that you will see people standing with their phone strapped to the window trying to charge their phones in order to gain access once their phone battery has died.

[pz619]

Gonna take a hard pass on this. The last thing I want to do is pull out my phone, unlock it, open an app, then select unlock to access my car. Especially when I just leave my key in my pocket. Plus it's all fun and games until you realize you left your charger in the car and you can't get to it with your dead phone.