It’s been four years since I wrote my first article about the keyless unlocking of the car. It was a colossal case at that time, people talked about o lot. So, what has changed since then? Literally. Nothing.
At the end of 2019, The German ADAC tested 237 models of various brands, withstanding only four! Two Jaguars, two Land Rover, cars from a single manufacturer. Everyone else could be unlocked and started.
Although we have heard of such cases countless times that the security of keyless access has not changed much. In addition to Jaguar Land Rover, other carmakers are trying to respond. BMW and Mercedes add motion sensors to their keys. Communication with the car only occurs when the key is moving. So it should not happen that someone steals your vehicle using an amplifier when the key is lying on the shelf in the hall.
Some drivers try to protect their cars on their own. They try storing them as far away from the car as possible, even in the refrigerator. However, the German organization ADAC says that even this does not guarantee 100% protection, and the only guaranteed way not to lose the car due to the system is to have it deactivated by an authorized service center.
Do you pay extra for vulnerability?
According to recent statistics, the number of car thefts has increased by almost 40% in the last five years. Modern systems and assistants should protect us while driving, but some items from the equipment can be more harmful. We are talking about keyless access to the car, which today is not only part of the highest material of premium brands, but can be found on almost all floors of the car market.
In practice, it sounds great: you have the car keys with you, but you don’t have to take them at all to unlock and start it. This will speed up the whole departure process, for example, you don’t have to look for the key in your pockets, the ladies in their legendary bottomless.
But it also has its drawbacks. This is because an attacker can increase the signal strength between the car and the key through a homemade amplifier. The vehicle can open and start even when the key is further away from the vehicle. Stealing a car is then a toy.
