There is a joke about an old mechanic. In the joke the mechanic pulls a hammer out of his tool bag and hits an underperforming engine at a specific point. The engine roars into life. His customer queries the high cost for such a quick remedy. To which the old mechanic replies: I can hit your engine with a hammer all day, but to know where to hit takes experience and skill. That skill is what you are paying for.
These days cars are less mechanical objects than they are mobile computers. Modern cars offer keyless entry and push-to-start convenience, but these features have also opened doors for tech-savvy thieves. Here’s how they’re doing it—and why classic steering locks and other physical security devices are making a return.
Key Cloning: A Digital Copy of Your Key
Key cloning is the top method for car theft today. Thieves use devices to intercept and copy signals from key fobs. With this signal, they can unlock your car and drive away as if they had the original key.
How to protect: Keep key fobs in signal-blocking pouches (also known as Faraday bags) to prevent unwanted signal interception.
Relay attacks: Two man jobs
Relay attack uses two devices to relay a signal from the key fob to a car outside the normal range. If your key is inside a house, one device can be used to transmit the signal to another device that is in proximity to the car. If you’ve got keyless entry and keyless start, then your car is gone before you have time to react.
Car Jamming: Blocked Lock Signals
With car jamming, thieves use a signal jammer to prevent your car from locking when you hit the button on the fob. You think your car is secure, but it’s left unlocked. This quick trick lets them slip inside and either steal valuables or access diagnostic ports to reprogram a new key.
How to protect: Always double-check that your car is locked by pulling the handle before walking away.
Headlight Hacking: A New Entry Point
Newer models integrate keyless technology through various systems, including headlights. In some cases, thieves access the car’s network by connecting through external points like the headlights. Once inside the system, they can start the car.
How to protect: Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas, and consider aftermarket security devices that monitor for tampering.
The Comeback of Physical Security
Wireless technologies have their place obviously, but deterrence is one of the key (no pun intended) tools a car owner has in keeping thieves at bay. Traditional devices like steering wheel locks, pedal locks, and gear shifters act as visible deterrents and address the physical security of a mechanical object. While not foolproof, they make stealing your car more time-consuming, often enough to deter a thief.
Bottom Line: Today’s thieves use high-tech tools, classic security is measured in brute force. Like our old mechanic in the introduction, sometimes what you need is the experience to know how and where they hit.
