Security and privacy of location-based services for in-vehicle device systems

Location-based services relying on in-vehicle devices are becoming so common that it is likely that, in the near future, devices of some sorts will be installed on new vehicles by default. The pressure for a rapid adoption of these devices and services is not yet counterbalanced by an adequate awareness about system security and data privacy issues. For example, service providers might collect, elaborate and sell data belonging to cars, drivers and locations to a plethora of organizations that may be interested in acquiring such personal information. We propose a comprehensive scenario describing the entire process of data gathering, management and transmission related to in-vehicle devices, and for each phase we point out the most critical security and privacy threats. By referring to this scenario, we can outline issues and challenges that should be addressed by the academic and industry communities for a correct adoption of in-vehicle devices and related services.