Your car is always listening. Not for your voice, like the Amazon Echo or Siri, but for an electronic signal, such as the coded "unlock" signal from your electronic key fob. If it's a newer car model, you might not have to press any buttons; just approach your car and the doors will unlock automatically. In some cars, the engine will even turn on. Wirelessly unlocking your car is convenient, but it comes at a price. Criminals can easily intercept the key fob's signal and open your car without setting off any alarms. If you have a true keyless car model, they might be able to just drive away. Let's look at how criminals pull this off and what you can do to keep your car safe. How your car's security system works As you've probably noticed, you can't just open your car with any old radio signal. You need your specific key fob to do the job, and there's a reason. A key fob uses a computer chip to create a unique code that it sends to your car's security system. The car also has a chip that uses the same algorithm to generate codes.

If the codes match up, the car opens. There's a bit more to it, but those are the basics. Since each key fob/car security pair is unique, and each one can create billions of codes, hackers shouldn’t stand a chance. But it turns out that a popular system from Megamos Crypto isn't as secure everyone thought. Researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the University of Birmingham found that by intercepting the wireless signal just twice, they could narrow down the possible combinations from billions to just 200,000. After that, a computer can figure out the code in just half an hour and unlock the car. In a real-world application, a thief could sit on a street and gather wireless signals as car owners enter and exit their vehicles. Then overnight they could steal a number of cars. Click here to find out if your car is at risk from this kind of attack. Still, it takes a skilled car thief or hacker to carry out this kind of attack, so the odds of it happening to you are slim.

But thanks to always-on key fobs, there's another risk that's much more likely to happen. Always-on key fobs present a serious weakness in your car's security. As long as your keys are in range, anyone can open the car and the system will think it's you. That's why newer car models won't unlock until the key fob is within a foot of them.garage doors brighton mi But for less than $100, criminals can get an amplifier that detects key fob signals from up to 300 feet away and then transmits them to your car. exterior door lock walmartIn other words, your keys could be in your house, and criminals could walk up to your car and open it. toyota hiace back door for sale

This isn't just a theory; Steps to stop car thieves Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to keep hackers from stealing your signal. You can buy a signal-blocking pouch that can hold your keys, like the Hack-Blocking Card Pouch I sell in the Komando Shop.white jeep wrangler 4 door hardtop for sale If you don’t want to spend any money, you can stick your key fob into the refrigerator or freezer. garage door motor genieThe multiple layers of metal will block your key fob's signal. pivot shower doors for saleJust check with the fob's manufacturer to make sure that freezing your key fob won't damage it.exterior door sale edmonton

If you're not hot on freezing your key fob, you can do the same thing with your microwave oven. (Hint: Don't turn it on.) Stick your key fob in there, and criminals won't be able to pick up its signal. Like any seasoned criminal, they'll just move onto an easier target. Since your key fob's signal is blocked by metal, you can also wrap it up in aluminum foil. While that's the easiest solution, it can also leak the signal if you don't do it right. Plus, you might need to stock up on foil. You can also make a foil-lined box to put your keys in, if you're in a crafting mood. You should also be aware that this kind of signal stealing isn't a problem just for car key fobs. Newer passports and other I.D. cards contain radio frequency identification chips that enable criminals to use a high-powered RFID reader to steal your information from a distance. You don't need aluminum foil, however. Explore the line of stylish RFID-blocking wallets, purses and passport cases I sell in the Komando Shop.

Key fob hacking isn't the only danger to modern cars. Learn how hackers can take control of cars through their entertainment systems and other avenues of attack. On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. Hi-tech gadgets that allow villains to steal cars without breaking into them are for sale on the internet for as little as £30, the M.E.N. can reveal. The devices help criminals bypass car coding and reprogramme vehicles before driving off in them. Darron Tickle, GMP crime reduction specialist, says the gadgets are having an affect on both policing and insurance firms - with victims now struggling to prove their car has been broken into if there are no signs of damage. One method of stealing is ‘signal jamming’ where a thief sends a code on radio frequency as you lock your car with the remote fob to bar the signal. It means the car doesn’t actually lock.  

Mr Tickle said: “We get incidents where on one street three car thefts have occurred overnight and there’s no sign of entry into the vehicle. In these cases, you can make the assumption that jamming is going on. But the only way we’d know is if we caught the offender with a device on them.” “Some of the other new technology, like code grabbing - where an offender uses a device to steal the code used when you automatically lock the car - isn't one I have a particular concern about because most cars have a rotating changing code. But signal jamming, though, is an issue. ” Some of the devices used are very low-tech - a fob to unlock an electronic gate often uses the same frequency and can jam a signal. He added: “Hopefully, you would notice your car hadn't locked. But the problem we have is if you have something stolen from a vehicle and there’s no sign of forced entry, you may struggle to get an insurance company to pay out, especially if there’s no evidence of breaking in. “Equally, if someone knows they have left their vehicle unlocked, they are unlikely to admit it - so the data is skewed because people lie about whether they have locked their cars or not.”

Mr Tickle said criminals using these devices are likely to look at areas with many vehicles, like streets or car parks, where they can target a number of vehicles in one go. He added: “There is a definite shift and big increase in car theft without using keys as opposed to theft where a key is used." And the techno-problem persists once the offender gets into the car. A popular criminal tool is the reprogramming device - which connects to the on-board diagnostics port as a hi-tech way of hot-wiring a car. Mr Tickle said: “They are little devices from Eastern European countries on ebay. You can reprogramme the computer of the car to recognise a different key or make it start without a key. Many members of the public aren’t aware of this.” He said drivers could best protect themselves by simply ensuring their car is locked by checking the handle. He added: “Most of these gadgets can be over-ridden by checking the car is locked and then locking it manually with a key if not. “Look and listen for the lock to engage and the lights to flash.

All the devices we have now, like fobs, have made people lazy.” He said people accidentally forgetting to lock their cars was also a major problem, adding: “If you go down a road of 100 cars around 10 of them won’t be locked. People are still leaving things insecure and with a little bit of thought they could stay safe. Just check the door. It’s simple and effective.” Thatcham is the research arm for British insurers. The firm carries out vehicle safety and security research for the UK insurance industry. They use their work to create points scores for vehicles which will determine how expensive they are to insure. Spokesman Iain Wallace said all vehicles which are accessed electronically are potentially at risk. He added: “It really depends on what thieves are shopping for in a particular week - the make and model they are after. “They are very rarely recovered in one piece. They are very quickly shipped out and broken up for parts and sold on. If they have the equipment and the know-how and it’s a keyless vehicle then all vehicles are potentially accessible.”

But he insisted there was hope to get ahead of the techno-thieves. He added: “These new gadgets are a growing problem but we also know that manufacturers are working very hard to address it and have made some improvement already. Ultimately we will find a solution.” This is the most common way thieves gain access to a car. A device transmitting on the same radio frequency as remote key fobs is used to jam the signal that locks the car. When owners press the lock button on their key fob, the command is prevented from reaching their vehicle and it remains unlocked. Thieves are left with an open door. How to beat it: Make sure the indicators flash when you press the lock button and listen for the clunk of locks. Keyless vehicles emit a short-range “friendly” radio signal that carries only a few yards. When the correct key fob is close by, the fob recognises the signal and transmits its own code, instructing the vehicle to unlock the doors. The same process is used for the ignition on cars with start buttons.

Thieves have begun using wireless transmitters held close to a target vehicle to capture its radio transmission. This is relayed to another device held by an accomplice close to the key fob, which might be in the pocket of the owner at a motorway services, or by a window at home. It fools the fob into thinking that it is next to the car, prompting the release of the unlock code. How to beat it: Keep keys out of sight at home. When out, carry them in a shielded wallet or aluminium tin. Vehicles with a start button rather than an ignition key can be simple to steal. Every car sold in the past 10 years has been required to have a standard diagnostic port fitted, typically located in the front footwell. Computer hackers have devices that plug into the port, boot up a vehicle’s software and then program a blank key fob. In keyless cars this can be used to start the engine as well as unlock the doors. The time needed for the programming process is as short as 14 seconds. The cost of programming gadgets on foreign websites is as low as £10.