Drivers of vehicles are also being cautioned of an increasing form of theft known as a relay attack. This is a new gimmick that enables robbers to steal vehicles without even having to touch the key. Specialists recommend that something as basic as aluminium foil could be used to mitigate this danger.
In a lot of the recent cars, smart key fobs are installed to automatically unlock the door when the key is in close proximity. These keys operate on radio signals, which typically have a frequency of between 315 to 433 MHz. Even though this simplifies life it also provides a security gap.
Relay attack involves the use of two electronic equipment by the thieves. There is one machine in your vicinity and it picks up the signal of your key, even when you are indoors. The second device remains close to the car and transmits such a signal to the car to open it. This gives thieves the opportunity to steal the car in few minutes.
The easiest to use is aluminium foil. It is also similar to a shield that does not allow passage of radio signals. You can wrap your key fob with foil and the signal cannot pass when outside and thieves can find it more difficult to hack it.
The key to using this trick is to make sure you wrap the key in at least three to four layers of foil in order to use it in a proper way. Make sure there are no gaps. Once it has been wrapped, then test it by attempting to unlock your car. When the car does not react, then the technique is working.
This hack is low cost and simple as opposed to purchasing special security pouches. It is also elastic and can be fitted to any key shape.
Nevertheless, it has certain disadvantages. It may be inconvenient to wrap and unwrap the key each time. The foil is also easy to tear thereby diminishing its usefulness. Moisture can also damage it.
They also recommend that people should not leave keys close to the doors or windows and they should employ additional security devices like steering locks or GPS trackers to ensure protection.
