While advanced car technology can provide convenience and security to car owners, there are also, unfortunately, growing instances of its misuse to steal vehicles. Car thieves can use electronic signal relay devices to carry out relay attacks on keyless entry systems for cars. By doing so, they can trick the cars into opening their doors, and then it is a simple matter to drive them away without the owner’s knowledge. If you have a car with a keyless entry system, it is essential to take steps to secure your vehicle.
Five ways to secure a car with keyless entry
You can secure the keyless entry systems for cars in the following five ways:
1. Double-check the door locks
The convenience of locking the car remotely with the key fob can make many car owners careless about checking if the car doors are indeed locked. Sometimes you might even forget to lock them. It is a good idea to get in the habit of double-checking by pulling the door handle and making sure it does not open.
2. Store the key fob in a safe place
Relay attack works by getting the relay device to pick up the signal from the key fob and then transferring that signal to another device near the car. Since the devices can pick up signals through walls and doors, you need to keep the key fob in a location from which it cannot give signals. Keeping it away from windows and doors can weaken the signals and also prevent simple theft.
To be on the safe side, though, you might want to store it in a metal box, or a Faraday pouch can block the signals that the key fob emits and prevent the relay devices from detecting them. Some security experts suggest keeping the key fob in the refrigerator, but it could ruin the lithium batteries.
3. Disable key fob signals
Disabling the key fob signals is another way of securing the keyless entry systems for cars. There is no chance then of the relay devices picking up the signals from a remote location. Of course, this safeguard will only work if your key fob has the option of disabling the wireless signals. Check your vehicle’s manual to find out if your key fob supports this feature.
4. Use steering wheel locks
Aside from keeping your key fob in an unreachable and undetectable location, you may also want to invest in a steering wheel lock as an additional safety factor. These are highly visible devices that may deter most would-be thieves. With the steering wheel locks in place, even if the car thieves manage to trick the keyless entry systems for cars, they have to grapple with the problem of driving them away. It is not easy to break the steering wheel lock, and, for many thieves, it may not be worth the time and effort.
5. Re-programme your key fob
After purchasing a new or used vehicle, car owners ought to make a point of reprogramming the key fobs for keyless entry systems for cars. You should also get the reprogramming done if you lose the key fob and buy a new one or have noticed any unusual instances with your car’s remote operations. Such reprogramming can reduce the chances of car thefts occurring due to someone duplicating the key fob’s existing mappings. You can get your key fob reprogrammed by contacting the car manufacturer or the brand dealership.
Aside from these five ways to secure the keyless entry systems for cars, there are other commonsensical measures that every car owner ought to take. The main precaution to take is to avoid placing valuable possessions on visible display inside the car. It is advisable to not keep smartphones, tablets, laptops, jewelry, watches, sunglasses, bags, wallets, and other expensive items on the car dashboard or seats where would-be thieves can easily see them.
It may also help to invest in loud car alarms that go off every time anyone tries to mess with the car, and CCTV cameras can capture what goes around the vehicle and send notifications to your smartphone. These deterrents are likely to keep many car thieves away from your vehicle.