OnStar - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

OnStar

General BackgroundSlide2

Having a cake and eating it too…

Our modern era has brought a dramatic shift in the balance between convenience, security, and privacy.

Security is a major concern when dealing with valuable possessions, whether concrete or abstract.

Conveniences often become necessities once their advantages are internalized by society.Slide3

O, Big Brother where art thou?

Big Brother is a shadowy figure from George Orwell’s novel “

nineteen eighty-four

”.

Synonymous with abuse of power, particularly violations of privacy rights.

T

ypically applied to government authorities, this is extensible to any group inappropriately utilising mass surveillance.Slide4

OnStar?

OnStar is a multifunctional service available to vehicles with the necessary hardware.

Although integrated into some vehicles, a rear-view mirror with OnStar abilities was released in 2011.

Provisions include “

… Automatic

Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle

Tracking, Turn-by-Turn Navigation, and Roadside Assistance.

”Slide5

So, how did we get here?

Formed in 1995 in

cooperative venture between General Motors, Electronic Data Systems, and Hughes Electronics

Corporation

Initially a feature of luxury vehicles: Cadillac DeVille, Seville, and El Dorado in 1996 on 1997 year-models.

From 2002 to 2005, other brands, like Subaru, featured OnStar via a licensing deal.Slide6

How is OnStar faring?

Ford’s SYNC, Orion VIS

, WatchDog,

State Farm’s In-Drive, A Toyota Mystery System..?

As of mid-2011, OnStar had more than six million customers.

Subscriptions cost from 18.95/month to 729.00/3 years.Slide7

What about that competition?

SYNC is an in-vehicle communications and entertainment system with several assistance features (automatic 911 calls, Vehicle Health Reports, etc.)

In-Drive has the Stolen Vehicle Assistance, as well as Hands-Free mobile and vehicle/driving reportsSlide8

What about the others?

WatchDog

is a general application, but particularly tailored to fleet-management, with systems like the Electronic Fence.

Orion claims to have all OnStar’s features, but in a portable system with user-controlled reporting and a user-controlled sensors (deactivable), and fleet management.Slide9

So, this is a big thing?

A series of commercials aired based on the 1989 Batman movie, touting OnStar as an all-important feature of the batmobile…

Done in a mini-serial style, these were memorable and effective, driving home key points of OnStar’s product concept.

Riddle Me ThisSlide10

Now where’d you get that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnStar

http

://

media.gm.com/media/us/en/onstar/company.html

http

://

www.scientific-knowledge.us/Wikipedia-940855-Onstar.html

http

://

www.ehow.com/info_11415251_history-gms-onstar.html

http

://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3TeJE3QjFQ

https

://

www.onstar.com/web/fmv/termsconditions

http

://

www.statefarm.com/insurance/auto_insurance/drive-safe-save/inDrive.asp

http

://

www.orionvis.com/vsOnStar.aspx

http

://gpsoftx.com/watchdog-vs-onstar.htmlSlide11

What are the issues?

Having introduced our topic and its “sphere of existence”, it is

now

necessary to

delve into

the

details.

This means looking at how OnStar and its policies affect its customers.

The our assessment of how OnStar strikes this delicate balance is presented by Mr. Clark…Slide12

OnStar

Pros and ConsSlide13

Onstar can be a great asset

Safety

Convenience

Direction

SecuritySlide14

Being safe is a good thing

Automatic Crash Response

In the event of an accident, even if the airbags do not deploy, Onstar receives the vehicle's exact location and sends emergency responders.Slide15

Being safe continued

Crisis assist

Provides people with evacuation routes to get them out of harm's way and provide them with fuel location assistance.

Connects people with their loved ones, family, and friends.

Provides centralized assistance if people need food, water, medical help, or a hospital.

Helps find accommodations and shelter.Slide16

Onstar makes things easy

No need for a backup key

If you happen to lock your key in your car, you can call Onstar and they will unlock your car for you remotely.Slide17

OnStar, there's an app for that...

Power OnStar from mobile devices with RemoteLink

Remote Unlock

Remote Start

Sound your horn

Flash your lights

Monitor fuel and oil

Check tire pressure

Send navigation dataSlide18

Don't get lost

OnStar makes it easy to use turn by turn directions.

Send Google Maps information from your computer to your vehicle

Send MapQuest information from your computer to your vehicle

Tell an OnStar Advisor where you want to goSlide19

Car thieves beware...

Remote Ignition Block

- When an OnStar subscriber reports a vehicle stolen and authorities confirm, Remote Ignition Block uses GPS to ping the car and prevent it from starting.

Stolen Vehicle Slowdown

- When a car is reported stolen by an OnStar subscriber, and when the police catch up to the thief, OnStar uses GPS to pinpoint the vehicle, turns on the four way flashers, and decreases the acceleration.Slide20

But what's the catch?

Cost

Security risks

Lack of privacySlide21

How much is it?

1

Plus tax. Credit card payment required for monthly subscriptions.

2

Plus tax. All savings calculated based on standard published monthly rates.

Pricing data from

https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/planspricing

Safe & Sound

Directions & Connections

$18.95 per month

1

$28.90 per month

1

$199.00 per year

2

$299.00 per year

2

$359.00/ 2 years

2

$549.00/ 2 years

2

$499.00/ 3 years

2

$729.00/ 3 years

2Slide22

Too risky?

Researchers from the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego were able to gain access to the vehicle's critical areas through the vehicle's long range communication channels.

link to full research:

http://www.autosec.org/pubs/cars-usenixsec2011.pdfSlide23

Results from experimentsSlide24

Where is all this coming from?

http

://

www.helium.com/items/669801-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-onstar

http

://wiki.ucalgary.ca/page/Welcome_to_OnStar-_

How_may_we_invade_you%3F

http

://

voices.yahoo.com/advantages-disadvantages-using-onstar-462808.html

http

://

www.onstarconnections.com/2012/07/onstar-turn-by-turn-navigation-tips-and-commands/

http

://

www.autoblog.com/2009/07/21/onstar-announces-remote-ignition-block-for-stolen-vehicles/

https

://

www.onstar.com/web/portal/planspricing

http

://www.autosec.org/pubs/cars-usenixsec2011.pdfSlide25

Privacy? What privacy?

One of the biggest concerns of OnStar is privacy.

...which brings us to our next section with

Ruiwei Bu! Slide26

OnStar

Privacy

Issues

and CasesSlide27

Timeline

1995: OnStar Corporation

1996: OnStar Product

2003: Court To FBI: No Spying

2006: Analog Service Terminated

2009: OnStar China(吉安星)

2011: EULA and Privacy Issues

2012: OnStar Family LinkSlide28

FBI and Government

The

system

can

be remotely

activated

, is

an open

phone

line

, and there c

ould

be no sign, so passengers

may

not

be aware.

Privacy

Policy: "OnStar may disclose personal information if required to do so

...“

2003: Court informed FBI: No spying on in car

computers.Slide29

Analog Came a Spider

In

2006, notified 500,000 customers who had analog service that their service would be terminated at the end of

2007…

Customers

have to pay to

upgrade.

Lawsuit

in

Pennsylvania.Slide30

Privacy Issues

In 2011

, a new version of Terms and Conditions states that

"

OnStar may maintain a two-way communication after the customer have cancelled the service..."

Collects personal information

, GPS Data

....

Senator

Chuck Schumer's CriticismSlide31

Privacy Statements

Will

continue to focus on the ways it can use its vehicle connection to help drivers, such as for alerting customers about tornado warnings..."

OnStar may

share your email address, contact information, subscription status with car makers, parent companies, including but not limited to ...Slide32

Privacy Statements

“(17)... Aggregate

information may be shared with or sold to third parties for any

purpose.”

OnStar amy share your email address, contact information, subscription status with car makers, parent companies, include but not limited to

...Slide33

Privacy Statements (Cont)

“

We may also randomly monitor your interactions with OnStar's automated service ... (Call Recording) OnStar will not release any audio or physical records unless otherwise required by applicable laws and regulations or requested by proper government agencies.”Slide34

OnStar Family Link

Monitor

positions of family

cars

It's

depending on the subscribers to tell other family membersSlide35

OnStar - Big Brother?

OnStar is essentially an in-car phone line service

, and can be activated remotely…

So

it's like a

microphone

that can monitor you and your

car…

Might nefarious hackers (and

government

agencies) exploit

this

?Slide36

References

http://www.tonyrogers.com/news/onstar.htm

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-5109435.html

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/21/gms-onstar-now-spying-on-your-car-for-profit-even-after-you-uns/#continued

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/03/29/onstar-family-link-lets-you-spy-on-where-family-members-drive-your-car/

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/08/want-to-spy-on-the-kidsspouse-onstar-has-the-answer/

http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?p=1270

http://www.lawyerviews.com/onstar-privacy-lawsuit.html

http://www.consumerclassactionsmasstorts.com/2009/03/articles/consumer-fraud/federal-court-in-onstar-litigation-dismisses-some-claims-retains-others/

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/09/26/onstar-responds-to-sen-schumer-criticism/

http://

www.onstar.com.cn/en/Privacy-Statement.html

https://

www.onstar.com/web/portal/privacy