Including security codes in battery packs, car electronic systems, and traffic signals

Battery packs are just one common consumer application that's making use of highly sophisticated hashing algorithms to validate their use. Look for an increasing number of applications to begin including encryption that in the past have relied on rudimentary security methods. For example, Ron Wilson blogged recently about some car electronic systems being fairly to crack: It won't be long before auto makers begin including an encrypted access code within the auto comms bus. And here's an article about a middling-sized California town, San Luis Obispo, that has had to turn off infrared sensors on traffic lights that react to signals from emergency vehicles to change red lights to green. Even though use of the transmitters by private individuals is illegal the equipment is apparently easy to buy online for around $500. The town estimates that upgrading signals to encrypted version will cost about $5,000 per signal. Chances are these new signals will rely on the same types of hashing/encrypting ICs developed for battery pack authentication by companies like Maxim, TI, Intersil, and Microchip.