Here at 3D Autokeys, we've heard it all, keeping your keys in the microwave or fridge overnight. We get it; these places do block the signal between your key fob and your car. However, it's not safe to store your keys in the microwave. We've seen severe damage to kitchen appliances and car keys alike.
Store your key fobs (all of them) in a metal container when not in use. The metal provides a barrier that interrupts radio signals to/from the smart fob. 7. Alternatively, inexpensive RFID pouches are available.
Current metal antenna-based RFID tags cannot be worked in high-power microwave environments such as microwave ovens.
If storing your car key fob in a metallic container, we recommend testing first to check if the signal is blocked. The most secure method to block the signal is using a signal blocking pouch / faraday pouch to store your car key fob safely.
Research suggests that wrapping your keys in tin foil dampens the signal, but doesn't fully block it. We'd recommend opting to store your key in a Faraday pouch or signal blocking box over the fridge or microwave too, as you're less likely to damage it.
To prevent this from happening, you should make sure that your car keys aren't kept on the sideboard in your hallway or in your porch. You could even put the keys in a special metal box that blocks the signal so thieves cannot use the relay transmitter. Alternatively, you can lock your car doors manually.
A Faraday pouch stops car key skimming theft because it stops RFID. This is also how contactless debit and credit cards work, so a Faraday pouch can be used to prevent scammers from identity theft by protecting your payment cards.
By storing your car keys, fob or card in an aluminium tin (even grandma's old biscuit tins), or a special signal blocking box, the signal between the car and key is blocked. This means thieves can't intercept it and clone a new one. If you're out and about, then a Faraday pouch is your best friend.
That's different than a wireless relay attack, when thieves use a device to scan the signal from your keyless fob sitting inside the house – for instance, in your jacket next to the front door. Then, they create a cloned fob that lets them get in your car and start it.
If you don't want to shell out the £5 or so for a Faraday pouch, check whether you have a metal lunch box lying around. Line it with reasonably thick cardboard and you have a homemade Faraday cage that should deflect most, if not all, wireless signals in the frequency range used by car keys.
The metal will prevent criminals from eavesdropping on fob signals. The idea of hiding your car keys in one of your appliances in the kitchen might seem a bit crazy but it's now been revealed that by simply storing your keys in the fridge, or your microwave, thieves could be stopped from being able to steal your car.
While these methods seem to pose huge security risks to your vehicle, there is actually quite a simple solution to protect your car: wrap your keys in tin foil. Wrapping your keys in this every-day household item will act as a barrier and ensure that the signal is not transmitted in a relay attack.
Key jamming works by positioning a jamming device near the targeted car, which then sends a signal that interferes with the communication between the key fob and the car's immobilizer system. When you press the button to lock your car, the jammer blocks the signal and the car's doors do not lock.
The relay amplifier is used to pick up the signal transmitted by your key. One of the thieves will walk around the external walls of your house with the amplifier, hoping to detect the signal emitted by the keyless key.
Other times, proximity to a simple magnet is enough to demagnetize a fob. Common items that might demagnetize key fobs include: Cell phones.
Smart criminals are using relay devices to make car systems believe a key is nearby by cloning its signal. They intercept and then relay the signal from the car key using two receiver/transmitters.
Despite their high-tech nature, there's no way to track your key fobs out-of-the-box… yet. Luckily for you, there are plenty of third-party options you can use to keep tabs on your key fobs until then! Key finders in particular are a great option.
Wrap up your phone, alternating between layers of plastic wrap and tin foil. This helps you create an easy, DIY Faraday cage. Find a metal box or container (like a trashcan) and line the inside with plastic wrap. Throw your phone inside and close the lid.
A static magnetic field does not damage a vehicle key or the built-in transponder for the anti-theft device. Therefore, you can hang your car key on a magnetic board without hesitation.
An increasingly prevalent method employed by thieves involves the use of relay devices. In this approach, one thief aims the relay device at the front door of a residence, where proximity keys are often left. The device then transmits the key's signal to an accomplice near the driver's door of the vehicle.
These bags are used by law enforcement and military to maintain the integrity of forensic evidence during device seizure and transport, to protect information in secure facilities and to shield passports and IDs with a high level of data protection assurance.