The investigation shows that at least three Israeli firms operate the CARINT (Car Intelligence) system, which uses data from connected vehicles for surveillance purposes, Anadolia reports.
According to the report, these tools allow data to be compared to identify a person of intelligence interest among tens of thousands of cars. One of the companies, Toka, has developed an offensive tool that can access vehicle microphones and cameras to gather information. The firm was co-founded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former head of the military cyber service Yaron Rosen. Their technology enables access to multimedia systems, precise location and tracking of movements, and even remote activation of the microphone for hands-free calls to listen in on conversations in the vehicle.
Another firm, Rayzone, developed a surveillance tool based on commercially available advertising data, without directly hacking the device. Their CARINT system, sold through subsidiary TA9, integrates location and movement pattern data and enables tracking via in-car SIM cards, along with monitoring wireless and Bluetooth communications. The data is then linked to traffic camera footage to identify license plates.
A third company, Ateros, through its sister company Netline, uses a tool that connects vehicle data with state databases to identify license plates and compare them with data from mobile communications surveillance. Their Onyx product collects intelligence from internet-connected vehicles, including data from sensors in tires. Each tire has a unique identifier that sends pressure data, creating a digital “fingerprint” of the vehicle.
Industry sources say that Israel Aerospace Industries, through its subsidiary Elta, is also developing a similar CARINT product, but the company has not commented.
Haaretz concludes that modern cars have become computers on wheels, reliant on the internet and mobile connections. While this improves the driving experience, it also raises serious privacy and national security issues.
(Vijesti.ba)
