My son has got a keyless entry Fiesta ST.

Could be any car really, that isn't the point.

 

He's getting increasingly worried about the high number of thefts of high performance Fords.

Silverstone last week, for instance, at the Ford Fest; some low life scumbag/s was/were attaching home made trackers to desirable cars!

 

The latest thing apparently, is to break a small hole in the drivers window, lean in and copy the required info via the diagnostic port on some device this filth have developed to unlock, start and drive the car away in less than 15 seconds.

 

He's now looking at all sorts of expensive security devices, but my  perhaps rather simplistic and basic idea is to simply fit a visible high quality physical barrier, such as a Disklok.

No doubt some trash can get around these too though  perhaps?

 

Views?.

Edited 14 August, 20169 yr by Adenuf

The alarm doesn't go off btw, as there is a 'black spot' that the movement sensor doesn't pick up reaching down to the port apparently.

Interesting that they can break a small hole in the drivers window.

 

A Disklok & also a chain and padlock around the pedals seems like the best cheap solution then.

& maybe a better alarm with better sensors.

Hide a beartrap somewhere in there so it will snap over the thievs arm...

Interesting that they can break a small hole in the drivers window.

 

A Disklok & also a chain and padlock around the pedals seems like the best cheap solution then.

& maybe a better alarm with better sensors.

Spark plug does the job apparently.

Hide a beartrap somewhere in there so it will snap over the thievs arm...

 

Bit tricky to purchase in the UK.

 

Not many Bears to catch  , just slithering garbage masquerading as humans.

Adenuf,

Not in my experience, not even an emergency glass hammer.

 

I must ask a little junkie toe rag next time i see him.

Not two brain cells but he can steal anything.

Edited 14 August, 20169 yr by GoneOffSKi

Just bought a Stoplock' for the Fabia from Halfords.

£38.

Hopefully just enough for the scum to move on to an easier target due to the hassle of removing it.

 

Might get one for the Octy too actually

Adenuf,

Not in my experience, not even an emergency glass hammer.

 

I must ask a little junkie toe rag next time i see him.

Not two brain cells but he can steal anything.

 

The lad showed me a you tube clip.

Perhaps they put some masking tape on the glass first to jusr fit  a greasy paw sized through?

Great stuff.

Edited 14 August, 20169 yr by GoneOffSKi

Sorry. Picture not vid.

 

http://www.protectavan.co.uk/

Who would think that Ford could fit such rubbish alarm systems.

Are they all set up to pick up arms going in the other side of Ford vehicles?

Who would think that Ford could fit such rubbish alarm systems.

Are they all set up to pick up arms going in the other side of Ford vehicles?

Who knows?

The thieves certainly sussed 'em out though

Great stuff.

He's actually been watching that vid, and asked for my opinion.

 

Far too much faffin' around for my liking, probably very expensive, and great whist it functioning properly, but what happens after a few years and soldering joints or whatever start going brittle or break down.

 

No son, just get a Disklok for a £100.

 

Just my opinion of course

If he is that concerned why doesn't he screw a metal cover over the one port or simply disconnect it from the dash and relocate it???  Will make if a tmore difficult for the low life's to steal the car if the port is out of reach...

Security is an afterthought with cars right now. Which is stupid because manufacturers are busily stuffing cars with as much tech as they can. Becasue it's easy to put it in, but costs development money to do it securely.

 

That's why we're getting all the hacking stories like this, the Jeep remote takes overs, crap crypto in VAG keys etc etc.

 

Everything is being run over the ODB bus with no compartmentalisation. Everything within the cars should be signed (crypto signed) and there should even be a firewall between remote access functions and the ODB.

 

Probably will take a few high profile accidents before anything happens.

 

The Beemer I looked at had some remote access stuff that would seriously make think twice about the car. When asked it it could be switched off was told no.

Edited 15 August, 20169 yr by Aspman

Solution - bit drastic, but it worked. Many/many moons ago I worked in Zimbabwe, where thefts from cars was a big thing, and owners fitted alarms to drivers doors. Thieves became increasingly sophisticated and took to taking out the rear window on most BMC models. One day, a game warden parked his Mini ( with something hidden under a wet towel on the rear seat) ,and nipped into local bank. He came out to find Police apprehending a pair of would be thieves, who'd removed his rear window and reached inside ,to get a nasty surprise. The wet towel shielded an 18" baby croc, the warden was transporting to a reserve, and the croc did not like being disturbed.

Sounds just like the BMW problem of a few years ago (good to see Ford learning from someone else's misfortune!)

 

I think one of the 'fixes' BMW had was to fit a switch to disable the OBC port so that the key cloner wouldn't work?

Nice (10mm ish thick) piece of chain bolted to the underside of seat.

 

When not required, no one knows it is there.

 

When at risk of theft, a doddle to pull out and secure around the steering wheel with a quality padlock.

 

It takes seconds to use once fitted.

 

Also handy if you sometimes leave your engine running for a minute or two, and I lock it with my spare key too.

Another report which may be old news

http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/auto/2016/09/12/volkswagen-security/?utm_source=Responsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160913_TND

Nice (10mm ish thick) piece of chain bolted to the underside of seat.

 

When not required, no one knows it is there.

 

When at risk of theft, a doddle to pull out and secure around the steering wheel with a quality padlock.

 

It takes seconds to use once fitted.

 

Also handy if you sometimes leave your engine running for a minute or two, and I lock it with my spare key too.

Then they just hacksaw through the thin metal of the steering wheel and toss the intact chain aside.

 

I work with canbus systems and the utter lack of interest in security from manufacturers is shocking to say the least. If it was any other system that people's lives depend on, they would never be certified for production.

Who would think that Ford could fit such rubbish alarm systems.

Are they all set up to pick up arms going in the other side of Ford vehicles?

Put the sensors in the middle and not facing in the right direction and there's a fairly easy blind spot in the front windows.

I'm sure it's not just these cars.

Why not put a relay/switch in the power line to the OBD2 that you can't reach from the window area.

That way they could break the window, but couldn't programme a new key to open the car?

I think that was the fix for BMW, to remove power from the ODB unless the key fob was in the starter.

I do agree though, proper security would be good and it's unbelieveable the tech that's being added, including internet connectivity, without much proper thought.

I mean years ago ford had a red key and without it you couldn't programme new keys to the immobiliser.

That'd be an easy way to reduce the reprogramming as long as each car had a unique red key code.

Edited 13 September, 20169 yr by cheezemonkhai

I do agree though, proper security would be good and it's unbelieveable the tech that's being added, including internet connectivity, without much proper thought.

 

 

Oh they are thinking about it, but they are thinking it costs money so we'll not bother thank you. Not until after some really bad publicity or a few deaths.

 

Personally my bet is on some form of ransomware for cars. Your car will be unusable until you cough up £300 or so. Just like the stuff you get that locks away pictures on your PC, most people will pay. Plus if noone dies the police won't bee all that interested and the manufacturers will probably offer to fix it for a grand or so.

 

Right now manufacturers would rather pay lawyers to gag the guys that find the problems..

 

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/user-article/115531/volkswagen-group--

 

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/the-chilling-effects-of-the-volkswagen-injunction-on-british-research/article/304945/

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/26/scientist-banned-revealing-codes-cars

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/06/mitsubishi-outlander-car-hacked-security

 

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/car-hacking-why-cyber-crime-is-a-real-threat/

On the Evoque and siblings they were drilling a hole in the floor beneath the OBD connection and inserting a connector on a stick and powering/programming the car.

On the Evoque and siblings they were drilling a hole in the floor beneath the OBD connection and inserting a connector on a stick and powering/programming the car.

Wow that's pretty extreme and not much you can do about a man with a powertool.

So they then nick it, weld a new plate on the floor and export it?