Is it easy to steal a car with an electronic master key?

According to the Interior Ministry, in 2018 it was stolen and42,677 cars were hijacked (21,843 for the purpose of theft and 20,834 allegedly “for the purpose of driving”, although in most cases the criminals specifically declare in order to avoid more severe punishment). Modern hijackers are armed with the most modern devices for opening even the most "smart" anti-theft systems. Roskoschestvo offers you the most effective measures of protection against theft.

Public organization of motorists in GermanyGeneral Automobile Club (ADAC), the largest in Europe, conducted a study of cars with keyless entry system. 237 modern cars of 30 brands were tested and 230 of them were found vulnerable to hacker attacks using devices to intercept the signal.

Keyless Car Access Functionsimplifies the life of car owners, but it is unsafe. The so-called “relay attacks” (in which the interception of authentication data between the smart key and the car is intercepted) allows car thieves to unlock and start the vehicle without having to have its key.

In other words, the thief scans the signal transmitted by the wireless key and amplifies it to open the car. Well, and then the matter is technology.

While Mike Howse, CEOThe British Society of Car Manufacturers and Dealers says that modern cars are “safer than ever, and the latest technologies have significantly reduced the risk of theft,” ADAC experts claim that the threat of theft is still more than real.

The ADAC study also states that, of all237 tested vehicles, only three models were able to fully resist hacker attack. Only those car models whose keyless handles use ultra-wideband technology, which can very accurately determine the distance between a key and a car, have passed the test, so the car cannot be deceived by a relay attack, which means it is difficult to steal it by this method.

So far, manufacturers are puzzled over howTo protect new car models from attacks, Ford advised its customers to keep the key ring in a metal case to reduce the risk of theft, as it can block the signal generated by your key. The key must be completely surrounded by a metal layer, without the slightest gap, in order to be protected from a relay attack.

Head of the Federation of Russian Car OwnersSergey Kanaev believes that a metal key case can hardly become a real defense against theft. He added: “Car hijacking, as practice shows, usually takes place from 4 to 6 am from open areas - no one responds to the alarm during this period, and it only takes 10 seconds to hijack. You can steal absolutely any car.

Today the situation with the hijacking isfighting armor and bullets: if new equipment appears on the market, there will be hackers who hack it. Electronic systems themselves are vulnerable, so the most effective way to protect your car is to apply airbrushing on your car. Statistics on the theft confirms this fact - these cars are stolen much less often. If a car is distinguished by a sticker or airbrush, it is unlikely to be stolen because it is too risky - thieves do not want to take a car that will attract attention. ”

Worldwide, do not give peace to sleep motoriststhe so-called hijacking. For example, the car owner left the car in the parking lot of a shopping center and went shopping. One malefactor remains at the car, and the second accompanies the car owner, and with the help of special equipment transmits an electronic signal of the key in the owner’s pocket to his accomplice, who, having safely received the signal, opens the car and steals it. Without additional remedies, this cannot be avoided.

ROSkachestvo offers solutions that reduce the risk of theft of your car:
one.Airbrushing and stickers are an effective way to protect against theft. The drawing will be a special sign and the first proof of the ownership of the car to its owner. So you are guaranteed to reduce the attractiveness of your car to thieves - they will not go the hard way.
2Anti-theft "tag" - a small key fob with an electronic device that receives and transmits signals in a certain frequency range. The device must be kept with you; the machine will not start without it. It is installed at official dealers and in services dealing with anti-theft systems.
3. PIN-based protection means - regular buttons are programmed on the car, and only the owner of the car knows which buttons and in what sequence to press in order to activate the ignition.
4. Multilock lock on the steering wheel. Even an inexpensive lock will act as a partial deterrent to the hijacker. The multilock on the gearbox is another mechanical type locking device. Of course, multilok is not a guaranteed protection against theft, however, it increases the chances that a thief will not want to deal with your lock and switch to another car.
5. Satellite alarm. The best alarms at the moment are satellite. Such systems are a hybrid of satellite and cellular technologies. A miniature satellite signal receiver / transmitter is installed in the vehicle, which is connected directly to the control room by means of a GPS signal. In addition to the fact that the dispatcher monitors the location of the car, it can block the engine, close the doors and call the rapid response service if an abnormal situation has occurred with the car.
6Invisible protection: hide in a remote place in the car GPS / GSM beacon. It informs you about all movements of the car and allows you to find out its location. If you program a GPS beacon to reach a connection once a day, this will reduce the risk of its detection with special equipment.
7. Contact your car manufacturer to find out if there are any additional steps you can take to protect your particular car model.

"If you purchased a car with a convenient functionkeyless access, allocate funds and to protect it. Without additional means of protection it is impossible to prevent theft - the same “fishing pole” “passes” through walls. That is why if you live in a private house, do not keep your keys in the hallway, otherwise your car is at risk, ”says Roman Farbotko, editor-in-chief of Autonews.ru (RBC-Auto). Of all the existing remedies, the expert considers the “tag” and pin code to be the most effective. Roman also advised, if possible, to insure the car from thefts.

Please note that before installing protective equipment, you should consult with an authorized dealer or manufacturer representative so as not to lose the warranty on the car.

"There are many myths, widelycommon in the minds of car owners. Perhaps the most popular of them - "my car is not needed by the hijackers." The demand for cars and their components will always be consistently high, which means that this is already a motive for theft. Remember that secure parking is also not a stop factor for hijackers.

Compliance with the set of preventive measures against theft, recommended by Roskoschestvo, is an important tool for protecting a car, ”says Ilya Loevsky, deputy head of Roskachestvo.

Source: Press Release Roskachestvo