Beat the thieves who use a computer to break into your car
Starts today — five must-read guides to protect you and your family from high-tech scams
THE HUGE advances in technology we have seen over the past few decades have utterly transformed modern life. Many of us carry around smartphones that act like mini computers, allowing us to Google the answer to any question or send holiday snaps to our families.
Meanwhile, internet banking is steadily replacing the need to visit a High Street branch to pay bills or check a balance, old energy meters are being swapped for digital versions that tell us how much gas we’re using by the minute, our cars can now park themselves in tight spaces — and we can keep in touch with old friends living on the other side of the world through social media, such as Facebook.
But these powerful new tools have also created a whole new set of dangers, whether it’s thieves exploiting keyless cars or cyber criminals hacking into your bank account.
For many, the world is moving so fast into the digital age it’s hard to keep pace with what we need to do to protect ourselves and our families.
So, starting today, this five-part series aims to get you up to speed. We will alert you to technological traps — and provide plenty of tips and tricks to beat them.
We begin with the risks brought about by the huge changes to the cars we drive.
Thirty years ago, BMW launched its 7- series executive saloon with the proud boast that it contained more computing power than the Apollo space mission to land a man on the Moon.
Yet in today’s world that is chickenfeed — even for modest family runarounds.
But technology designed to make today’s cars smarter, safer and more secure is, perversely, making them more vulnerable to tech-savvy thieves.
Insurance industry experts estimate up to 1 in 4 stolen cars is now electronically hacked. It’s an astonishing statistic. Thieves can buy devices online for as little as £100 — some are available on Amazon and eBay — to steal cars from driveways in under a minute. There are even online video ‘tutorials’ showing them how to do it. Modern cars have been dubbed ‘ computers on wheels’. Microchips and computer processing units control everything from the running of the engine, to the dashboard controls, satnav and, critically, security.
Instead of traditional car keys that open the door and start the ignition, many of us now have a key-fob ‘plipper’.
The device is in constant communication with the vehicle via encrypted electronic signals, so as soon as you put your hand on the door handle it automatically unlocks the door.
It also means you don’t have to put a key in the ignition — just press the ‘start’ button on the dashboard. The car already ‘knows’ the key is present so fires up the engine, and you’re off. It’s so easy. But this is also an Achilles heel, identified by industry experts and insurers, and highlighted in a Daily Mail investigation in April. It’s also making life easier for criminals who can hack into a car ’ s security system and steal it. Time was that the best way to beat a car thief was to use a crook lock or wheel clamp. Car-makers appeared to be winning, too, as the introduction of immobilisers, alarm systems and tracking devices saw vehicle thefts in England and Wales drop from a 620,000 peak in 1992 to just 56,000 by 2016. But as modern cars have become more high-tech, this has gone into reverse. In 2017, thefts stood at 89,000 — up nearly 60 per cent in a year.
Sophisticated thieves, many belonging to organised crime syndicates, have become the criminal equivalent of IT specialists. Often, they steal to order, send vehicles abroad, give them new or ‘cloned’ identities or break them up for parts in back street ‘chop shops’.
So how does all this actually happen? Vehicle security expert company Thatcham Research in Berkshire says there are three main methods:
THE RELAY ATTACK exploits what Thatcham Research calls a ‘vulnerability’ in the keyless entry systems — allowing a car to be stolen in under 60 seconds.
Working in pairs and armed with special relay gizmos bought online, criminals target a car parked in a driveway or on a road close to the owner’s house. One thief holds the relay ‘amplifier’ against the front wall or porch of the home, searching for a signal from the keyless fob inside.
The device locates then relays the key’s signal to an accomplice holding a relay ‘ transmitter’ device against the car’s door.
A Thatcham Research expert explained: ‘The car is effectively fooled into believing the owner is within a defined range — usually two metres — and is approaching the car with the key. The door opens, and the signal is relayed to the accomplice a second time, allowing the car to start.’
Once started, the car’s engine will continue to run even when the key is out of range.
HACKING into a car’s electronics to programme a copycat key is another method employed by the criminals. They do this using a ‘blank’ or unprogrammed key fob, costing under £5 via the internet.
But first they need to gain entry
to get at the dashboard. This can be done by smashing a window or picking the lock with a skeleton key also available online for just £21.
Once inside, they access the car’s On-Board Diagnostic or OBD port — an electronic socket near the dashboard that gives garage staff plug-in access to a car’s computer system. ironically, EU legislation says that an OBD port must be easily accessible.
But it’s also a simple way in for thieves, using electronic kits bought online for £50, to reprogramme a blank key fob.
it’s like cloning a credit card. Armed with a re-programmed ‘blank’ key fob, the thief can start the car and drive away.
And if you’ve ever handed over your keys to someone else — such as a parking valet or car-washer — beware. if they are criminals, they can use the opportunity to re-programme a new key fob, and then send an accomplice later to steal the car.
JAMMING is where a criminal hides a signal-blocking device in a residential street or car park — preventing the locking signal from remote fobs reaching the car. The thief then returns to test car doors within range of the device. Once the affected vehicle is found, it can be opened and stolen using an OBD device.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
ALWAYS check the doors are locked after parking your car.
Clive Wain, the head of police liaison at vehicle security firm TRACKER, said: ‘There’s a rising tide of vehicles being stolen by so- called electronic compromise. We’re seeing more and more relay attacks taking place across the country.’
However, the former senior detective and counter-terrorism chief says there are simple precautions that people can take.
‘While the relay devices can receive signals through walls, doors and windows, metal is its enemy,’ he says. ‘So putting keys in a metal tin or the microwave is a cost- effective way to thwart the criminals.’
investing in a signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday wallet designed to shield electronic keys from relay attacks, can also help.
Owners with a ‘ keyless entry system’ should also check if the fob’s transmitter can be switched off overnight.
Old- fashioned methods are also effective against high-tech thieves, says Mr Wain: ‘Physical barriers, such as crook locks and wheel clamps will still deter thieves.’
Fitting a tracker device won’t stop a car from being stolen, but it can significantly increase the chances of police locating it.