If you’ve got a newer car, you probably are constantly amazed by how the technology continues to evolve. For instance, we don’t need to unlock our doors anymore – as long as we have our fob in our pocket, they unlock automatically.
As cool as it is living in the future, though, it comes with certain risks, because thieves are never more than a couple of steps behind. With this technology, they’re able to intercept the signal going from your fob to your keyless entry and steal your car.
A relatively new signal hijacking scam referred to as “relay theft” means that thieves are now using radio devices to read car keys from outside your home or workplace. Devices called relay boxes (which are available on sites like eBay and Amazon) allow thieves to pick up the signal from a keyless fob inside the car owner’s home, extend this signal to the vehicle, and subsequently start it.
So why wrap your car key fob in foil? Well, your car waits for a signal from the fob and thieves can grab fob signals. But if your car key fob is wrapped in tinfoil it will decrease the signal.
Here’s how you can protect your car keys from being scanned, by blocking car signals:
- Store your keys in a safe place, out of range of your car.
- Store your keys in an aluminum tin or signal blocking box when at home.
- Carry your key fob in a shielded wallet or Faraday pouch when out and about.
- Turn off your key fob’s wireless signal, if applicable.
‘AWM’ gives us more details of this life hack to prevent thieves from stealing your car:
Former Israeli Air Force member and CEO of GuardKnox Cyber Technology, Moishe Shlisel has a life hack to keep your key fob data secure. While it is quite old-fashioned, it works without fail – and that is how Moishe likes his tools to be. If they can fail easily, then they are not very secure.
He wraps his car fob in aluminum foil. And it keeps hackers away.
“You know it works if you can’t unlock a car door when the fob is inside,” said Moshe. “The credit card holders don’t work because they’re essentially a net rather than a wall.”
Recently, Detroit automakers invited Moishe to help them boost security. And he said the fob needed to be worked on extensively.
“This should be something we don’t need to wrap with foil. It’s 2018,” he said. “Car companies need to find a way so no one can replicate the messages and the communication between the key and the vehicle.”
Cybersecurity expert Holly Hubert who worked with the FBI until retiring in 2017 agrees.
“Although it’s not ideal, it is the most inexpensive way,” said Hubert. “The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever changing, it’s hard for consumers to keep up.”
Security experts blame auto thefts on the so-called sophistication of modern vehicle security systems and the digital connection to the car. Keyless kinds of vehicles allow you to be lazy, press a button and leave your car, but savvy thieves can get around the system and high technology. Bad guys don’t need your key to rip off your car.
Watch it here: FactVerse/Youtube
Source: AWM