Keyless Entry: Prevent Theft
Keyless Entry: Prevent Theft
Posted on August 10, 2021
Picture this happening. You drive home, park, then drop your Honda key fob on the table at the front door and then proceed to enjoy the rest of the night. While leaving the next morning you suddenly become aware that your C-RV is not in your driveway! What the heck, how could this be? Surprise, thieves have quietly made off with your car by hacking your keyless entry system. The ease and frequency of these ‘relay attacks’ in Ontario is on the rise.
Today’s car fobs are both active and passive. Active means you push a button on the fob to activate your doors or start your car. The passive component of the technology keeps your vehicle and the fob in constant communication when they are close. This allows the driver wearing the fob to be able to open the door by touching the door handle or start the car by pushing the ignition button in the car. The vehicle and fob communicate using low-power radio signals that are effective only when the fob is within arms-length of the car door or start/stop button. Some thieves have developed, or purchased online, special equipment that amplifies the signal between the vehicle and the fob, extending the system’s effective range. This ‘relay hack’ tricks the car into thinking the fob is nearby when it’s actually somewhere else thereby allowing the car to be unlocked and started.
Typically, relay attacks involve property theft from inside vehicles, not theft of the cars themselves. Stealing the vehicle and driving it into a shipping container bound for an overseas market is entirely possible but once it is turned off, it cannot be restarted that easily.
The good news is that by blocking your key fob’s signal you can derail relay attacks. I place my key fobs in a tin cigar container at my front door. You might consider a Faraday-style wallet or pouch for your fob. Michael Faraday was a British scientist who discovered that certain materials block the transmission of radio waves. These inexpensive products can be found online. A small price that may prevent you from speaking with your insurance agent about an incident of theft.
Until next time,
Macky