It appears that the old ‘smash-and-grab’ car break-in technique may be going high tech. There’s no need to smash the window to grab a laptop or an iPad out of the car when the thief can just use a mysterious new piece of tech that allows them to unlock keyless cars without hardly any effort at all. It’s an example of technology gone bad, and it’s so new that the police don’t know what the device is or how it works. They just know it exists, and it’s causing a big problem.
Apparently some people have known for a long time that keyless cars could be hacked, and it’s always been just a matter of time. Now that there’s a device that assists with the break-ins, which makes the process faster and easier, it makes me wonder if carmakers will rethink how keyless cars are made.
Police in Long Beach, California released the video below which shows the thieves manipulating a handheld device of some sort. That device causes the car’s dome light to come on and the doors to unlock. They are asking anyone who might know anything about this technology or the device to help them via YouTube.
Marlene Arrona, a Long Beach police spokeswoman, said, “Technology unfortunately is working against us. We are hoping that someone can provide us with some information regarding this new technology and shed some light on how someone would obtain this technology.”
According to MSN News, In 2011, two Swiss researchers were able to access 10 different models of keyless cars and drive them away by “intercepting and relaying signals from the vehicles to their wireless keys.” In other words, this is most likely just the beginning of something that will become more common. I never thought I’d see the day when having an old fashioned key to gain access into a car might be the best option available, at least for the moment.
New Device Allows Criminals To Break Into Keyless Cars
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