Vehicle Security - Theft Methods Deployed By Thieves

[Kasfranks99]

Found this review interesting and can understand why the disklok came second.
These devices are designed as a deterrent as they can still all be bypassed within a few minutes. Anyone going for the disklok should get the soft cover (£5) that goes under the steering wheel lock to protect it otherwise your steering wheel will get ruined very quickly if you use it regularly.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessorie ... heel-locks

[Nuclear Nick]

They’re mistaken. They have given disproportionate scoring to ease of use, which may sound sensible, but really the priority is trying to prevent the theft of your car and the DiskLok is much more likely to achieve that.

Agree about the cover.

[Bazza06]

It's been a while since I added to this thread which I created nearly 2 1/2 years ago but needless to say nothing has improved in terms of vehicle security, in fact, things have got a lot worse with vehicle thefts soaring.

At the time I first posted the theft of vehicles by "relay attack" was in its infancy but today we see a vast increase in the number of vehicles stolen using this method.

This is due to the increasing amount of vehicles equipped with keyless entry and the availability of relay attack devices that can take advantage of this.

Owners are literally finding their vehicles have disappeared overnight and the speed at which cars are stolen is frightening as can be seen by the many videos showing the thieves at work.

Equally concerning is those that are involved in these thefts. Kids are being recruited with the lure of clothing and trainers to commit the thefts thus keeping the criminal hierarchy out of the scene but close by to take the reward.

There is virtually no vehicle that cannot be stolen by relay or OBD port attack although the latest Range Rover and Discovery utilise Ultra Wide Band within the key fob which, for the moment, cannot be foiled. Some BMW's and Mercedes key fobs detect when they have been put down and disable the signal from emitting.

Which? have a very interesting article at www.which.co.uk/keylesscars and ADAC, which somehow equates to the General German Automobile Club, provides the results of the 223 keyless cars they tested at https://tinyurl.com/y7vwybgv

[Pivot]

Thanks Bazza, so if I am reading it right, disable keyless entry feature, but continue using the remote locking/unlocking.

I recall there was a syndicate that was scanning the frequency & signal when someone was locking the vehicle, to get the code for unlocking. Is that still an issue, or was it addressed by OEMs?

[Bazza06]

Some, I'm not sure if all, can disable the keyless function.

The remote locking / unlocking function can still be subject of attack. Some thieves are installing a cheap jammer which will prevent the vehicle from locking. They then return to the vehicle and override the ignition via the OBD port hence why it is recommended to pull the door handle after you activate the remote to ensure the vehicle is secure.

There is a demand for vehicles of all types and not just luxury expensive brands and I wonder whether it is best to let them steal the vehicle by these more modern methods as opposed to breaking into homes or car-jacking.

[Greddyuk]

I think these relay attacks are developed by the car manufacturers or car security locks companies - so they have more business... just like computer viruses are developed by anti-virus software developers. Hmmm....

[Cheshire Cat]

https://www.confused.com/on-the-road/sa ... s-revealed

Porsche not in the top 10 stolen cars but that doesn't mean some scrote may want to nick yours or mine. My keys reside in my bedside cabinet which is against Police advice I know but if anyone breaks into my home and puts me or my family at risk there will be a price to pay. I'm not saying on a public forum what device I may use, but it is unpleasant and will disable the intruder long enough for me to gouge out his eyes. Either that or I'll set the Mrs on them.

[Fairynuff]

https://www.confused.com/on-the-road/sa ... s-revealed
Porsche not in the top 10 stolen cars

I suspect that list is on numbers of that model car stolen, so if there are 1 million BMW's on the road and 1000 Porsche the article doesn't tell us much

[Cheshire Cat]

https://www.confused.com/on-the-road/sa ... s-revealed
Porsche not in the top 10 stolen cars

I suspect that list is on numbers of that model car stolen, so if there are 1 million BMW's on the road and 1000 Porsche the article doesn't tell us much

Well it tells me that the BMW X5 is the most stolen car in the UK.

[DiverNick]

Whilst not a prestige car, my current vehicle has been identified as one of those at risk and targeted by the remote "relay attack" method.
Since I discovered this, I got a Faraday pouch type device "Defender Signal Blocker" as recommended by Which and put my keys in it once I get home, or wherever I find myself at night.

It has so far been 100% effective and once keys are in the secure area they are effectively invisible. I've even had the keys in the pouch right beside the car door and it is shielded and the doors stay locked!