AUSTIN, Texas — Pay Technologies, the creator of WebTeck and other vehicle starter interrupt systems, recently offered some advice to dealers who use this technology.

The recommendations come on the heels of a nationwide story about a former store employee who allegedly used his clearance information to manipulate customers' vehicles who were in good financial standing with the dealership.

PayTeck indicated that it aided the dealer in Austin, Texas, whose customers suddenly had vehicles that were inoperable or had horns that began to blare constantly. These are generally conditions reserved for vehicles which have defaulted contracts on them.

Company officials reversed the situation and tracked down how the mischief was triggered. The company shared the data with the Austin Police Department.

Police officials then charged the dealer's former employee, Omar Ramos-Lopez, 20, with computer intrusion on March 16.

While many media reports highlighted the situation as a "hacker" compromising the system, PayTeck refutes that explanation by stressing to dealers the importance of changing login and password information regularly.

"Logins and passwords are the keys to the door at the dealership, and when employees leave you need to take the keys back or change them," explained James Krueger, president and chief executive officer of PayTeck, which is based in Cleveland.

"When personnel changes occur, dealers are encouraged to immediately change logins and passwords," Krueger emphasized.

The incident at the Texas dealership affected 100 vehicles. PayTeck executives described the situation as an "inside invasion," what they believe to be the most damaging type of system and business abuse.

"Over the last 10 years, PayTeck has developed very secure, high-quality equipment and provides dealer support that goes above and beyond troubleshooting," Krueger noted

"The situation (in Austin) was handled seamlessly, and because of the information we maintain, we can react in the rare case that an upset occurs," he continued.

Company officials recounted how its technology operates as a way for dealers to keep better tabs on their collateral. Dealers can issue commands through a Web site to be relayed through wireless pager or cellular networks. These commands can allow a dealership to disable a vehicle's ignition system or start its horn.

PayTeck emphasized that the dealer can decide which vehicles get these devices, at what point to activate the system, and who at the dealership gets a login and password information to immobilize vehicles.

Company executives noted that some dealers choose one point person to manage the system while other stores distribute logins and passwords to several individual employees.

"It's insurance for dealers' accounts receivables and a tool that allows salespeople at dealerships to extend car ownership to these risky customers," Krueger pointed out.

Krueger is optimistic the case in Texas is just an anomaly.

"What we hope dealers take away from this story is that it's important to manage logins and passwords carefully and to invest in a system that is secure and backed up by the type of technological support that will ensure that any breaches, should they occur, are managed efficiently and effectively," he concluded.