If you have never experienced the pain of having your vehicle stolen, you should consider yourself to be very fortunate. There is nothing quite like the agony and frustration of being violated in such a way. We place such a high value on our vehicles and we use them so frequently that when they are gone, we really feel lost.
That isn’t even to mention the fact that cars can be extremely expensive. The newer models have a lot of bells and whistles and it is one of the bigger investments that we will make in life. We consider them to be very convenient because of the technology that is added in but sometimes, that technology can be a real problem.
If it seems as if there has been more car theft recently, it is because there has been more! In fact, Sky News reports that a 30% increase in car theft has been seen over the past few years.
You would think that it would be offset because of the new technology but thieves are quickly catching up with that technology and the security systems that are built into the vehicles. In many cases, they can steal vehicles and they don’t even need 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’ve got the risk now of the signal being captured,” Steve Launchbury, of Thatcham Research, told the news outlet.
The keyless fobs that come with most vehicles can become compromised. All that is really necessary is to amplify the signal and they can gain access to your car, even if you aren’t anywhere around.
USA Today has also reported that the fob codes can be copied easily. Unfortunately, the auto industry is just not keeping up with the bad guys.
That doesn’t mean you are without hope. There are some ways you can protect your car. Here are a few options for your consideration:
Protect Your Car at Night
Most car thieves work at night but you can foil many of their attempts by storing the fob in a coffee can. The metal in the coffee can disrupt the signals and keeps them from accessing the code.
Protect Your Car during the Day
“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.”
You can also invest a few dollars and purchase Faraday bags. These have the ability to block electromagnetic fields quite effectively. Until you have one available, wrap the key fob in aluminum foil and it may just save you from a very frustrating and costly problem.
