Europe and the UK

News items from Europe and the UK

How are criminals stealing cars via the coding of apps?

Speaking to Open Access Government, cybersecurity expert Asaf Ashekenazi of Inside Secure discusses the changing world of cybercrime. The interview covers new car-theft methods, protecting yourself, paradigm-shifts in the cybersecurity world, predictions for the future and the unknown security risks we face every day. This article follows our examination of keyless technology crimes, which you can read here. 1. How exactly are criminals…

Tesla’s Sentry add more safety for your car

According to federal statistics, there was an estimated one motor vehicle theft or attempted theft every 40.8 seconds in the United States in 2017— and that doesn’t even include the vast number of car break-ins that happen nationwide. To further enhance the security of our vehicles and give our customers additional peace of mind, today we’re starting to roll out a new safeguard – Sentry Mode – to protect against…

Six ways thieves can break into a car and how to prevent it

The days of hotwiring cars are long gone. Today’s thieves use a variety of sophisticated techniques to gain access to cars and start the engine. The police, car makers and the insurance industry are playing catch-up as techniques evolve and adapt quickly to modern cars. These measures are having some effect but as anti-theft systems become more advanced, so do the thieves. Below we outline six common methods used to steal vehicles that…

The Sun reporters ‘steal’ 10 keyless cars in seconds with legal gadget

Reporters from The Sun newspaper managed to “steal” 10 cars in moments using a legal gadget than can unlock the doors and start the engines of vehicles with digital key fobs. With the scanner device, it took just six seconds to unlock a £12,000 Ford Focus and start the engine — while the owner watched on in horror. Other “keyless” cars were almost as easy to steal. A Skoda Kodiaq and a Nissan Qashqai both…

New statistics show how few motorcycle thefts result in action

New figures have revealed the size of the motorcycle theft problem in London and how little of it ends in police action being taken. From January 2015 to October 2018, over 45,000 motorcycle or moped thefts were reported in the capital but only 1200 people were ever charged with an offence. A further 70 merely accepted a caution. This means that over 31,000 investigations were closed with no suspects identified. The new figures have emerged…

Hundreds of Keyless Cars are Vulnerable to High-Tech Theft, New Report Says

More than 200 car models that offer keyless entry are susceptible to theft, a report from British consumer group Which? has revealed. The vehicles can be stolen using "cheap electronic equipment" purchased online. While these systems require a fob to be within a certain proximity of the car to unlock and start it, thieves can use relay boxes to boost the fob's signal. This tricks the system into believing the fob is near the car -- even if…

New BBC Documentary examines the lifestyle of a former motorcycle thief

A former motorcycle thief bragged online mocking his victims The reformed motorcycle thief told the BBC how he and his friends would often pose with stolen bikes and posted the images online. He would often post photographs with his face covered threatening that they were “coming for your bikes”. Going by the name ‘Ryan’ to the BBC, he explained how he would often ride the machines around Bristol until the motorbike ran…

1 in 4 AA Members Don’t Think About Car Crime

The AA has released a new video which aims to tackle car theft and car crime after: • 1 in 4 don’t think about car crime • 1 in 10 think modern cars are theft-proof • 4% don’t bother to lock their cars • According to police figures for 2017, there were 280,313 recorded offences of theft from vehicles (13% more than 2016), and 103,644 were stolen (19% more than 2016) in England and Wales To read…