Stealing your car is so easy!

Car manufacturers are being left red faced with the latest explosion of car thefts of late model vehicles. The move away from a mechanical key lock to start cars to a purely electronic security system may cost them and insurance companies millions of dollars in claims due to a simple security work around by criminals.

It has been discovered that criminals with a small box were able to gain access to a large number of late model vehicles as if by magic. The criminals could be seen standing next to the car and simply opening a locked car without any key simply by opening the door handle.

According to John Magee of 24 Hour Locksmith Brisbane hacking a cars electronic security system is nothing new. In fact “Locksmiths have been hacking car security systems for years”, “How do you think we are able to create a new key and electronic transponder when the keys have been lost?” He said “Car electronic security systems have never been secure”. The reference is to the fact that just about all cars can have their electronic security systems bypassed by a smart hacker.

Modern cars no longer need an actual metal key. They rely entirely on an electronic code or transponder system. According to John this reliance on just one system makes cars vulnerable to simple attacks. “A car that has a mechanical key and an electronic immobiliser is far more secure then just relying on an immobiliser alone.” “The reliance on a proximity system was flawed from the start”.

The proximity security systems used by car manufacturers seem to be the major source of the breakdown in integrity. Kids with a high powered transmitter can read the key code and transmit it to the car with a special transmitting device. They don’t even have to be near the car for this device to work. They may be able to drive down the street and test a large number of cars with these transmitting devices. They are only targeting the latest model cars, as older cars are still secured with a physical key.

The affect of these car thefts is being felt by insurance companies around the world. Paying out on an insurance claim when there is no sign of forced entry can be a problem for the owners of stolen cars. The best way to protect your car is according to John, “To keep it in a locked garage or to have a secondary locking device fitted to the car”. This is really a problem the manufacturers need to rectify so they can make cars more secure in the future.