Podcast Summary: Click Here – "Gone in 60 Hacks"

Podcast: Click Here (Recorded Future News)
Episode: Gone in 60 Hacks
Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Dina Temple-Raston

Overview

In this “Mic Drop” extended interview episode, host Dina Temple-Raston explores the intersection of modern car technology and cybersecurity. Through a conversation with Kamel Ghali—a white hat “car hacker” based in Japan—the episode delves into how cars have become vulnerable computers on wheels, the real-world risks of automotive hacking, the rising industry of automotive cybersecurity, and the challenge of balancing convenience with safety. The narrative is accessible, engaging, and rich with true-life anecdotes that demystify high-tech car hacking for a general audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution of Car Technology and Its Risks

[00:02-01:28]

• Modern vehicles are increasingly sophisticated, evolving from simple navigational tools to connected, smart devices.
  • Touchscreens are now standard, and features like biometric access are becoming more common.
  • New tech brings conveniences, but also new vulnerabilities.
• Quote (Host, [01:11]):
  "We expect our vehicles to be smarter than they used to be, to update themselves, to download apps, even learn our habits. And sometimes that makes them vulnerable."

2. The Origin Story of a Car Hacker

[04:43-07:00]

• Kamel Ghali grew up outside Detroit, originally aiming to work in medicine before a chance encounter changed his trajectory.

• At a university event lured by free pizza, he learned about the emerging field of car cybersecurity.

• Quote (Kamel, [05:46]):
  “My brain just kind of, like, exploded. I was like, what do you mean, hacking cars? That doesn't make any sense... wait, that's horrifying. What happens if the computer controlling the car gets hacked?”

• After intensive self-education, Kamel landed an internship in Japan and pivoted his career to car hacking.

3. The Present Reality of Automotive Cybersecurity

[07:00-08:06]

• Kamel’s current roles: COO of Kage Corporation, Director of Automotive Cybersecurity at Akatsuki in Japan.

  • Focus on both automotive security and broader cyber awareness.

• The need for ethical hackers is pressing and growing.

• Quote (Kamel, [07:26]):
  “Anybody who tells you that any system is perfectly secure and will never, ever be hacked, this person is lying. People discover vulnerabilities in software and libraries and systems, you know, every day.”

• The industry is increasingly hiring “white hats” to pre-empt criminal exploits.

4. High-Profile & Everyday Hacking Scenarios

[08:06-11:36]

• Hollywood dramatizes threats—mass hacks or swarm attacks—but real stakes are currently more mundane, like theft.
• Vehicle Theft Trends:
  • Kia Boys phenomenon: social media-fueled crime spree exploiting missing immobilizers in certain models.
  • Quote (Kamel, [10:02]):
    “It’s literally just the shape of the USB port is the right shape to fit in the hole."
  • Physical vulnerabilities (e.g., behind headlights) can also be exploited; attackers use off-the-shelf devices disguised as electronics.
  • Quote (Kamel, [11:18]):
    “This left headlight is on the same network as the smart key device... these kinds of principles that have been commonplace in information security... just didn’t really occur when designing this vehicle’s in-vehicle network environment."
• Lack of tough vehicle software laws in the U.S. compared to Japan and Europe.

5. Regulation and the Industry’s Response

[13:56-15:05]

• New U.S. rules target foreign software/hardware but don’t fully address cybersecurity.
• Japan and Europe require incident response plans and long-term software support.
  • Shift towards greater security consciousness across global automakers.
• Automakers like Rivian now have dedicated and multifaceted cybersecurity operations.
  • Quote (Kamel, [14:55]):
    "Rivian cybersecurity operations really include four different functions... corporate cybersecurity team, cybersecurity operations center, detection response team, and cybersecurity threat intelligence team.”

6. The Positive Side: White Hat Hackers as “Immune System”

[15:05-16:55]

• Car hacking “villages” at events like DEF CON educate engineers and law enforcement.
• Example: Duncan Woodbury’s pioneering automotive red team.
  • Quote (Duncan, [15:16]):
    “I was first hired when I was in high school... on the first and I think, most prolific automotive red team in the history of the automotive sector.”
• Hackers test and harden systems, acting like a digital immune system for cars.
• The risks will continue to rise with smarter tech, but so will defenses.
• The ultimate challenge is knowing when to stop layering on new technology.

7. Reflections on Tech and Simplicity

[16:55-17:09]

• Kamel’s personal take:
  • Quote (Kamel, [16:55]):
    “My sweet spot would be like 2015, 16. Like, I’ve got Bluetooth, I’ve got good audio quality... I can unlock my car with the key fob. That’s like my bare minimum amount of tech.”
  • Sometimes, the smartest choice is not to upgrade endlessly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On technological trade-offs:
  “This is a never-ending battle between, you know, convenience and cool features versus cybersecurity.” (Unattributed, [01:28])
• On mass-hack fears:
  “Though for now, the most terrifying scenarios, things like mass hacks and swarm attacks, still belong to Hollywood.” (Host, [08:30])
• On security by design:
  “An industry can’t really police itself, though carmakers are learning fast.” (Host, [11:36])

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:02–01:28: Introduction—rapid tech advancements in cars
• 04:43–07:00: Kamel Ghali’s background and shift to car cybersecurity
• 07:26–08:06: The persistent risk and reality of being hacked
• 09:15–10:39: Vehicle theft as the main hacking focus (Kia Boys, headlight hack)
• 13:56–14:50: National and international car software regulations
• 15:05–16:55: White hat hackers and their roles as protectors
• 16:55–17:09: The sweet spot of "just enough" technology

Conclusion

Gone in 60 Hacks offers an engaging, layman-friendly look at the transformation of automotive security from a niche concern to a frontline defense against modern cybercrime. Through the eyes of white hat hackers, the podcast unpacks the real, sometimes surprising vulnerabilities in everyday vehicles, the industry’s evolving response, and why striving for simpler, thoughtfully secured technology may be the smartest move of all.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary offers not just the facts, but the human stories, the risks, and the evolving attitudes that shape the modern battle between car convenience and cybersecurity.