Something new to worry about (foiling car theft)

So, what is this about?

Though the Plainfield police recently sent a message around about keeping cars locked and valuables out of sight (why do they have to keep reminding us of such obvious precautions?), car security was the last thing on my mind Saturday afternoon.

So I'm behind a lady checking out at the supermarket and she is looking in the bottom of her purse for some change for her purchases and she plops a small object wrapped in foil on the counter.

After my experience with a new rental car a few months ago (you may remember the story here), I recognized the object as a keyless ignition fob, suggesting the woman was driving a newer car.

Nosy Dan said, "Excuse me, I can't help noticing the your key fob is wrapped in foil."

"Don't you know?" she said, "it keeps my new car from being stolen."

"It's possible for thieves to unlock my car from scanning my fob and rob me or steal it," she continued.

You know I had to check that out.

And it's true.

First, you have to understand how the whole keyless fob thing works.

I had simply thought that when I pressed the "open" or "lock" buttons on the fob, it sent a signal to the car to perform the operation.

Well that was only sort of right.

Actually, the car is always on, searching for a signal from the fob. And the fob is always broadcasting the code to command the car's computer -- except at a very low frequency.

What clicking the "open" button on the fob when you're in the car's vicinity does is boost the signal, activating the computer's command.

Smart high-tech thieves are able to use a perfectly legitimate tool to pick up your fob's weak signal, magnify it and get into your car.

This is the dark side of the wonders of the latest car computer technology.

But there is something you can do to thwart them.

At night, store your fob in an empty coffee can. Yes, an empty coffee can. The can acts as a shield and prevents the signal your fob emits from being picked up by anyone.

But what to do in the daytime? Nobody's gonna carry an empty coffee can around with them.

So, the homemade remedy is to wrap the fob in a piece of simple kitchen aluminum foil -- which is what the woman in the supermarket had done.

This prevents the weak signal constantly being emitted by the fob from being picked up by eavesdroppers.

For those who want a more elegant solution, you can buy online what is called a Faraday bag (named after the engineer who figured out how to block these signals). It is a small cloth-covered pouch lined with -- aluminum foil.

After a Michigan county executive -- who has extensive security cameras around his home -- woke up to discover two of his vehicles parked in his brightly lit driveway (plus one of a neighbor's) had been looted, he has since protected himself with some foil.

So, my advice to readers owning cars with keyless ignitions is to foil those thieves and burglars -- with a little foil.

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 -- Dan Damon [ follow ]

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