LONDON — They appear like ghosts in the night, standing outside your house, one holding up an antenna while the other crouches next to the car parked on the driveway. Within seconds, your car is gone, yet another victim amid a surge in auto theft enabled by the technology designed to make it easier to unlock and start vehicles.
People are also reading… Officials have urged carmakers to reduce the security vulnerabilities and warn owners about the risks.“It’s relatively easy for drivers to protect themselves,” said Steve Launchbury, principal engineer of automotive security at Thatcham Research, a U.K.-based automotive risk intelligence company. Here are some tips:
It's also important to remember to use it whenever you leave your vehicle, and don't forget to put all of your key fobs inside, including spares. Locks, in the shape of a disk or a long bar, clamp onto the steering wheel and make it difficult to steer. There are also versions that prevent the car from being put in gear. The downside is you'll need extra time to attach or remove it whenever you aren't driving.
Automakers have started adding motion sensors to key fobs. If the sensor doesn't detect recent movement because it's been, say, left on the kitchen counter after you come home, the fob goes into sleep mode and stops transmitting. If it lacks this capability, check with your dealer whether it's possible to upgrade it.
Watch out for new methodsResearchers have uncovered a new auto theft technique that doesn't target radio signals. The controller area network, or CAN, is “a feature of modern cars which allows different components and systems to communicate, has recently been targeted and exploited by thieves,” said Thatcham's Launchbury.