![]() That's because once your passport booklet is published, the U.S. Sure, passports open up a whole world of travel, but they also open up a whole world of possible theft and fraud. ![]() Remember getting your first passport? You had your fingerprints taken, signed a bunch of documents, cut down a picture of your face to the tiny square size required for the booklet and waited-and waited some more-for the damn thing to show up in the mail. We even found one that's disguised as a book: Another option is to keep a Faraday box where you'd normally keep your keys and stash them in there. In fact, you can purchase special Faraday pouches on Amazon that are shaped perfectly for your key fob to keep it protected at all times. Invented by scientist Michael Faraday in 1836, these "cages" have come a long way. The best, most practical way to avoid auto theft: Store your keys in a Faraday cage, which is an enclosure that blocks all electromagnetic fields. ![]() (Just don't cook your keys.) You can also try wrapping the keys tightly in tin foil to keep the signal from getting out or try storing your keys really, really far away from your car. Stay safe: Shove your key fob in your refrigerator, freezer, microwave, or some other giant hunk of metal that can block the radio signal so that thieves can never pick it up. The good news? It's pretty quick and cheap to prevent yourself from falling victim to a relay attack. Virtually every car with an automatic-open key fob is susceptible to theft, even if it isn't push-to-start. Now the criminals just have to drive away without getting caught and then change the locks. Once the key fob signal reaches the second box, it unlocks the door, as the car thinks you're holding your key fob nearby. The relay boxes allow one person to stand near the home to pick up and amplify the key fob signal and then transmit it to the second box, which the other person holds outside the door of a car. The boxes can pick up the radio frequency from a car key fob that's sitting on a table inside, hung up on a key rack, or even resting in a purse. Here's how it works: Each person carries a relay box, which can be purchased for as little as $20 online. This is called a relay attack, and it's simple for thieves to pull off as long as they have a friend. Hackers can take advantage of this by using a cheap relay box to copy and transmit the signal from your key fob while it's still inside your home or on your person, making it easy to steal your vehicle. So why is it possible to pull off this kind of theft? Keyless ignition systems come with a fob that transmits a unique low-frequency signal to the car's computer system, which then validates that the correct signal has been sent and allows you to push a button on the dashboard or console to unlock the doors and start the engine. ![]() That occurred in tandem with an increase in keyless ignition systems: In 2018, 62 percent of cars sold use keyless ignition as standard equipment, up from 11 percent in 2008, according to car-buying site Edmunds. As with so many advances in technology, there have been unintended consequences for this standard in newer cars.Īccording to FBI statistics, auto theft hit an eight-year high in 2017, with 773,139 reported cases-up from an all-time low of 686,803 in 2014. Certainly it's one of the selling points for push-to-start cars, but it's also making life ridiculously easy for thieves. It's convenient to open your car door without having to dig around in your bag or pocket for the key fob.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |