12 Companies Are Leading The Way In Keyless Cars Being Stolen
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Keyless Cars Being Stolen in Minutes
Using equipment available for sale on the internet, criminals are focusing their efforts on keyless vehicles, which could be stolen in minutes. Learn how these criminals are able to circumvent security features and how you can do to safeguard your vehicle.
Keep your key fob in an aluminum tin to block its signal. Also, think about fitting an ignition lock on your steering wheel to stop your car from being taken away.
Relay Theft
The convenience of keys-less cars can make it easy to forget that they also make your car vulnerable to hackers with the latest technology. One of the most recent methods of hacking used by thieves is known as "relay theft."
With this method, two criminals collaborate to rob your vehicle. One thief is standing by your home with equipment that can boost the signal for a key fob, then transmit that amplified signal across a distance other thief standing by your vehicle. The second thief will use their device to mimic your fob signal to unlock the car or start the engine. This permits them to escape with the vehicle.
These devices can be bought online at a bargain price. They can be fitted to any car, whether it's the latest SUV or the old Honda Civic. However, certain cars are more at risk than others. Criminals target cars that are highly sought after by thieves due to their high resale value or the ease with that they can be taken apart. This is why it is important to park in a safe area and ensure that you don't store anything valuable in the vehicle (including the owner's manual that may include a valet key).
In the UK, thefts using this method are at an all-time high, according to the tracking company Tracker UK. In July 2023, they accounted for 98% of all stolen vehicles that the company helped recover.
Experts recommend installing security systems like alarms and GPS trackers to reduce the risk of becoming a victim. They also suggest keeping keys in a container made of metal, signal-blocking pouch, or Faraday box, which can protect against relay attacks.
Dealerships can help protect their inventory by installing physical security measures, such as perimeter fencing, surveillance cameras and well-lit areas. Additionally, they should train staff on proper key handling procedures and lockdown procedures to avoid thefts. And if they sell older vehicles, they should think about a dealer-installed ignition immobilizer. This will stop thieves from driving off with the car, after fooling the system into believing it is still parked on the lot of the dealership.
Transponder Theft
As car makers upgrade their keyless technology to make vehicles more secure, thieves are also upgrading their own equipment to keep up. Criminals use a relay attack to steal cars that are keyless. Two people work together. A thief stands outside the victim's house with the aid of a device that receives the signal from a key fob, which is then relayed to a partner who waits by the car. If the copied signal is recognized the door opens and the car starts with no requirement for the actual key to be in the car. This has been documented on home security cameras which show cars being driven off in seconds.
This is a growing risk to owners of all kinds and models, putting older luxury vehicles at risk. Tracker UK, a tracking company in the UK stated that 98% of the high-tech vehicles it recovered last year were robbed using keyless systems. The older luxury vehicles with keyless systems that are less sophisticated are the most vulnerable, including Mercedes C-and E-Classes, BMW 3 Series models, Land Rover Discovery, and Jaguar XF.
Another method of keyless theft is code stealing, which can happen when you're not paying attention to where you place your key fob. You may forget to remove it from your pocket before leaving the house. If your fob is in the reach of an in-home smart hub or security system it could be hacked to gain access to the vehicle's control systems. Hackers with good understanding in electronics can reprogram the vehicle to do whatever they want, such as the ignition off and drive away.
These kinds of attacks pose a threat to anyone who has keys-less cars, but it's important to be aware and take precautions to protect your vehicle. You can lessen the chance of theft by parking your car in a secured or gated garage. If that's not possible then you should consider installing a motion sensor camera that has a view of your driveway. You can also purchase signal blocking items like bags or boxes that are designed to stop thieves from taking over the signals from your key fob in the event that they are close to a jammer.
Theft of Programming
The technology of keyless cars is useful for us, but they can make them easier to be stolen by thieves. The "relay attack" is a popular method to steal a vehicle using keyless entry systems. The thieves operate in more info pairs, using devices to intercept your fob's signals when it is near the ignition or door to unlock your car.
The keyless system relies on radio signals with low power that only work when the fob is in close proximity to the doors or ignition. A skilled hacker, can use specially-designed equipment to enhance the connection between the fob and the vehicle, increasing the range of the system. This allows a criminal trick the vehicle to believe that the fob is within close proximity to start or unlock it, when it is just mere meters away in the victim's house or pocket.
Certain cars come with an additional security feature that turns off the ignition when the fob is too far away, but this only works if the vehicle has been programmed to recognise the fob's signal at a specific frequency. If a hacker is able to obtain the coding for the car's system, they can modify the fob's programming to operate at whatever frequency the car is programmed to recognise and thus bypass this security feature.
The On-Board Diagnostics port (OBD), which is usually located beneath the steering wheel, can be used by criminals to get the coding of your keyless transmission. This device, known as a "key programmer" is available on the internet for less than $1000. This tool can download the specific information about your car to a blank keyfob which allows the fob to be unlocked and start the vehicle as if it were the real thing.
These tools are readily accessible online and allow criminals to target a large range of makes and models. However, the most sought-after cars that have keyless entry are those from luxury makers such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar and are the ones most frequently targeted by thieves. Tracker, an insurance company, found that luxury models were responsible for up to half of all high-tech thefts it helped to recover.
Lockout Theft
Although keyless entry cars can be a great convenience, it doesn't take long for criminals to spot weaknesses in the system. The traditional method of smashing the car's windows and hotwiring the vehicle is still common, but more and more thieves are turning to high-tech methods to steal cars without breaking into the home. According to Tracker's data, car thefts in the U.K. have reached an all-time high with keyless thefts accounting for a large portion of that total.
Many of these new techniques are not just less expensive than traditional car theft but they can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. For instance, a pair of two thieves can use devices to intercept the signal from the key fob and send it directly to the transmitter in the hands of the other thief. This allows the other thief to unlock the car and then drive away. The tools used by criminals can be bought for as little as $100, and they work well on a wide range of makes and models.
The thieves can now along with these advanced methods, encrypt the data sent from a key fob. They can then clone it and upload it to an empty fob. Key fobs cloned by a clone will be able to unlock and start vehicles even though they're not the original keys.
ADAC's research showed that hundreds of popular car models, including the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf are vulnerable to this type of theft. In reality a single key could unlock multiple vehicles with this method, meaning that it's no any longer required to target specific manufacturers or models.
Automobile manufacturers are now offering preventative measures to protect their vehicles from these new threats. For instance, Kia has created a faraday bag that can be placed in the pocket of the driver's key fob to block signals and safeguard it from theft. Other options include creating additional keys and storing them in secure but accessible places, installing cameras around your home and driveway, or using apps to ensure that you don't forget your car. Also, it's a good idea to regularly check the status of your battery on your key fob to avoid it becoming depleted.