According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, vehicle theft is on the decline and has been for several years. A key factor in the crime rate decrease has been the greater use of keyless entry systems by manufacturers in their new models. Since their introduction in the late 1980s it has become more difficult for a consumer to find a baseline vehicle without a keyless entry system. This technology has been an incredible leap forward in the war against crime, but a few ingenious minds have started to overcome the anti-theft device.
In the most basic sense, remote keyless entry systems use radio waves to lock, unlock, open the trunk, or activate the alarm on your vehicle. The radio waves have been predetermined by the vehicle manufacturer, and are typically encrypted when transmitted from the key fob to the receiver. Researchers in Switzerland have found that these encrypted signals are easy to intercept and deceive. The act of overcoming the anti-theft system is fairly complicated; however it may see an increase in popularity due to the low cost of the equipment (purchased between $100-$1,000) and the anonymity behind the crime.
Hacking a key fob will allow entry into a vehicle, but the thief will not be able to start cars that come equipped with traditional keys. At this time only vehicles that have a push-button start system are the ones that can be driven away by use of this hack. The scary aspect of this is that the high tech car thief will not leave any signs of a forced entry, which will create problems for police attempting to track down the criminals.
What do you think about the use of Keyless Entry? Is it a modern convenience or a helpful tool for thieves? Let us know by commenting on our blog.
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