HOW HACKERS COULD STEAL YOUR VEHICLE
1. Relay hack keyless entry
With keyless entry, your car senses the key when it is near and automatically opens. Usually, the signal cannot reach the car from inside your home. But criminals using a ‘relay box’ can boost the signal from your car keys – causing your car to unlock and allowing the thief access. STAY SAFE:
Disable your key signal when not using your car or keep your keys safe in a secure container that blocks the signal.
2. Keyless jamming
Criminals can also prevent the car-key locking signal from reaching your car. This means your car remains unlocked when you move away from it and the thieves are then able to access your unsecured vehicle. STAY SAFE: Lock the car when you are close enough to hear the reassuring ‘clunk’ of the locks engaging. To be extra sure, you can always check your doors manually and use a steering wheel lock.
3. App flaw local remote control
Many cars possess digital tracking systems known as telematics. Often without the driver’s knowledge, these systems track where the car is going. Although this can be handy for those with internetconnected cars, it does mean that if a server is misconfigured or can be deliberately altered, hackers can locate, unlock and potentially start the engine of nearby cars. STAY SAFE: Speak to your car manufacturer for support.
4. On-board diagnostics hack
Cars possess a feature called an ‘onboard diagnostic port’ which allows garages to access the internal data of a vehicle to perform tasks such as checking service light faults and programming new keys for their owners. However, it is possible to buy kits which can use this port to program new keys for as little as €50, allowing hackers to use them to create new keys to access vehicles. Unscrupulous mechanics can also use this port to ‘clock’ cars – i.e. dramatically reduce the mileage to fraudulently increase value.
STAY SAFE: Use a steering lock to protect yourself and get advice from a reputable garage. When buying a car, check for mileage discrepancies with Motorcheck.ie or similar services.