Hacker Deactivates 100 Cars Via Internet

Austin Police have charged Omar Ramos-Lopez with breach of computer security after they say he shut down 100 cars remotely. Police say he hacked into Texas Auto Center’s computer system to deactivate the starters on the cars and set off their horns.

Ramos-Lopez was a former employee of Texas Auto Center that had been terminated.

Texas Auto Center finances a number of vehicles for the customers. Because of this, they have contracted with another company, Pay Technologies, to allow them to deactivate the starting devices in cars remotely in the event that customers fail to pay their loan payments. The dealership can also activate the horns on the vehicles to communicate with customers that they need to contact the dealership.

Ramos-Lopez worked as a collector for the dealership and was very familiar with how the system worked according to court documents. Investigators say they were able to check the system and determine the IP address of the hacker who illegally authorized the system. This IP address was registered at an address where Ramos-Lopez lived, according to police.

The manager of the car dealership told police that more than 100 customers were affected by the actions of the hacker. At least 81 customers complained of lost work, missed school, or towing expenses. Many of the customers have requested reimbursement for towing expenses, vehicle repairs, or to just return their vehicles.

Police could not calculate an exact amount for damages. However, they have estimated that the damage was over $1,500 but less than $20,000.