Photo: Daily Mail
Thanks to the latest developments, we can now open and start some cars with a single click of a button, without using the actual key. Car thieves are going with the times, too, and that means capturing key fob signals to steal cars is becoming norm.
What with all these technological advances, you don’t have to look far or spend a fortune to prevent thieves from making away with your "keyless" vehicle. In fact, you won’t have to look farther than the kitchen cabinet, because wrapping your key fob in aluminum foil will do the trick.
Sure, it’s not exactly an aesthetic solution, but it’s efficient and at the end of the day, that should be all that matters, cybersecurity experts tell the Detroit Free Press. When you’re at home, make sure you keep your key fob in a metal box wrapped in foil.
Remember that the fob can be vulnerable to attacks when you’re on the move, as well. Wrap it in foil before you place it in your purse or pocket, and this way, thieves won’t be able to capture and amplify its signal to open the car. It’s cheap and it’s effective.
“Although it's not ideal, it is the most inexpensive way,” say Holly Hubert, ex-FBI cybersecurity expert. “The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever changing, it’s hard for consumers to keep up.”
The more expensive option to regular foil is a so-called Faraday bag, which is actually a small bag made of foil that you can purchase online. You can keep your key fob in there, to shield its signal and deter theft.
“You go up to a house with a car parked in front of it, detect a fob 10 feet away in a bedroom and it allows the car to be unlocked. As these devices become more available, this scenario becomes more and more likely,” Clifford Neuman, director of the USC Center for Computer Systems Security in Los Angeles, says.
“Cars used to be hot-wired. That used to be common, but was an accepted risk. This will become a new technique used by criminals. How much you are concerned, and what you do about it, is a matter of risk management,” Neuman adds.
Sure, it’s not exactly an aesthetic solution, but it’s efficient and at the end of the day, that should be all that matters, cybersecurity experts tell the Detroit Free Press. When you’re at home, make sure you keep your key fob in a metal box wrapped in foil.
Remember that the fob can be vulnerable to attacks when you’re on the move, as well. Wrap it in foil before you place it in your purse or pocket, and this way, thieves won’t be able to capture and amplify its signal to open the car. It’s cheap and it’s effective.
“Although it's not ideal, it is the most inexpensive way,” say Holly Hubert, ex-FBI cybersecurity expert. “The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever changing, it’s hard for consumers to keep up.”
The more expensive option to regular foil is a so-called Faraday bag, which is actually a small bag made of foil that you can purchase online. You can keep your key fob in there, to shield its signal and deter theft.
“You go up to a house with a car parked in front of it, detect a fob 10 feet away in a bedroom and it allows the car to be unlocked. As these devices become more available, this scenario becomes more and more likely,” Clifford Neuman, director of the USC Center for Computer Systems Security in Los Angeles, says.
“Cars used to be hot-wired. That used to be common, but was an accepted risk. This will become a new technique used by criminals. How much you are concerned, and what you do about it, is a matter of risk management,” Neuman adds.
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