Last week, I was leaving the house when I
found my next door neighbor sitting on her
driveway with tears streaming down her face.
She told me her brand new car was stolen again.
Her last car was stolen three months ago,
and she has been frustrated that police have
not been able to do anything about it.
Of course, cars are not cheap, especially
newer models, and for my neighbor to have
to invest her money in another car that could
be stolen again is ridiculous.
Technology is supposed to make our lives easier,
but that's not always the case.
According to Sky News, police data reveals
that there has been a 30% increase in car
thefts over the past few years.
Security experts say thieves are catching
up with modern vehicle security systems and
are able to steal vehicles without needing
the keys.
"As the car is more digitally connected, obviously
that opens it up to new types of criminality.
When you have keyless-type vehicles where
you physically just press a button and walk
away, you have got the risk now of the signal
being captured," Steve Launchbury, of Thatcham
Research, told the news outlet.
How the thieves do it
These keyless fobs can be easily compromised
when thieves amplify the signal of your fob
to make it turn on, even when the device is
nowhere close to the car.
And according to USA Today, copying these
fob codes is happening more often, and the
auto industry just is not doing much about
it.
How you can protect your car
At night
These particular car thefts are more common
at night.
An inexpensive way to protect your car is
to store the fob in a coffee can at night.
This will disrupt the signal, preventing thieves
from getting access to the code.
During the day
As for the other hours of the day, wrap your
car keys in tin foil.
Although it's not ideal, it is the most inexpensive
way,” Holly Hubert, a former cybersecurity
expert, told USA Today.
“The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever
changing, it’s hard for consumers to keep
up.”
If you are willing to spend a few dollars
to protect your car, Faraday Bags block electromagnetic
fields better than tin foil.
In the meantime, aluminum foil might end up
saving you tens of thousands of dollars.
Just make sure you wrap your key fob thoroughly
to block the signal!
Will you start wrapping your car keys in tin
foil?
