
Put your keys in the fridge to keep them safe from car thieves - Varcht
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2018/08/10/forget-tin-foil-put-your-keys-fridge-keep-them-safe-car-thieves/939536002/
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psychometry
It's beyond perplexing that the author of this article is completely aware
that putting your key in a foil-lined bag is one option, yet they spend most
of the article talking about refrigerators and microwaves, which are
infinitely less convenient and even dangerous. I suppose the fridge gets more
clicks, though?

~~~
rrauenza
It might provide some solace knowing the author probably didn't write the
headline ...

[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lets-stop-arguing-with-
he...](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lets-stop-arguing-with-headlines-
that-the-writer-didnt-write)

~~~
dionidium
No solace. So it was Bob the editor who wrote the headline and not Steve the
author? I guess that matters a lot to Steve, but to me, the reader, this is a
meaningless, irrelevant distinction. Steve cares a lot about absolving Steve,
I guess, but, like, this couldn't possibly matter any less to literally
anybody else.

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leonroy
There was an excellent report recently by the NICB here:
[https://youtu.be/EE5Ygm0aFMk](https://youtu.be/EE5Ygm0aFMk)

I'm surprised that auto manufacturers didn't anticipate off the shelf
solutions for diagnostics and law enforcement making their way into the hands
of thieves.

You can imagine creative uses of a drone and one of these keyfob relay in
order to get as close to as many keyfobs as possible and breaking into a whole
parking lot worth of luxury cars.

~~~
thisacctforreal
Why stop at one drone?

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avryhof
I just drive an old beater. Sure-fire deterrent to theft, and even having
things stolen out of it.

It runs great, and I can fix it myself.

A vehicle is a way for me and my family to get from point A to point B.... I
don't use it as a status symbol.

~~~
chrisper
So you just claim that everyone who prefers a nice ride and newer
technological assistants etc is using their car for status symbol.

I bet you also use only sandals to get from A to B? Because proper shoes would
be a status symbol and no one wants to steal sandals.

I am sorry but newer cars beat old ones in many points. Sure there is a point
after your car becomes a status symbol, but being an old beater is not that
point.

~~~
m0nty
> So you just claim that everyone who prefers a nice ride and newer
> technological assistants etc is using their car for status symbol

Where does avryhof make that claim?

~~~
chrisper
This pretty much implies that anyone that doesn't "just" use their car to get
from A to B is using it as a status symbol (in his view at least):

> A vehicle is a way for me and my family to get from point A to point B.... I
> don't use it as a status symbol.

~~~
m0nty
> This pretty much implies

Well, according to you. I didn't read it that way at all.

avryhof drives a beater car, but the loss of status that might imply doesn't
mean much to them because it's just a way of getting from A to B. That doesn't
remotely say that everyone else uses their car as a status symbol, just that
driving a beater often implies low status or poverty.

I drive a beater car -> I don't mind that it's not very prestigious -> It's
just transport.

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larkeith
It's somewhat absurd how insecure car computer systems are. It may not be
hugely problematic currently (though as the article illustrates, it's not
completely innocuous), but I wonder if manufacturers will improve this before
self-driving cars start large-scale rollout; Otherwise, it should be
interesting to see the first cases of people's cars driving themselves away
overnight.

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EADGBE
It won't be long before we long for the days where we had two or three keys:
one for the door, one for the ignition, and one for the trunk.

\- Replacement is dirt cheap (talking pre-chipped keys here).

\- They require no batteries.

\- They'll last 20+ years.

\- If you don't have the keys you don't have the car (What criminals lockpick
and hotwire cars anymore?).

Then again, we'll have to covet holding on to long-lasting cars, though. So
scratch that.

~~~
blang
I know i've said this before, but I'm 90% sure Ford used to have two separate
keys. One for the door and ignition and one that only opened the trunk.

~~~
iron0013
It is (or was?) quite common to have a valet key, which would start the car,
but not open the trunk or glove compartment--and in some cases would limit the
speed of the car to below e.g. 30mph, in case some valet tried to take the car
for a Ferris Bueller-style joyride, I suppose!

~~~
koolba
Mercedes-Benz's have a pop-out metal clip that can be used to lock the glove
and trunk. It's designed to be extract with a simple press so that dropping
you car with a valet doesn't require turning off the car to remove it.

Clearly the lock isn't meant to stop a determined intruder. It's more of the "
_Locks are for honest people_ " type thing to indicate that you shouldn't be
opening the glove or trunk.

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pulkitsh1234
Why can't the cars (and keys) have something like a TOTP authentication
mechanism?

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Simulacra
I drive a restored 1972 Dastun 240z. It doesn't even have powered windows.

~~~
gargravarr
My 1985 Supra seems stone-age when standing beside any modern car (including
my winter car, a 2003 Outback), but the fact that every component does one
single job makes me a lot more comfortable about parking it somewhere - the
alarm is aftermarket and properly fitted (remarkably reliable), and I have to
actually push a button to open the doors. The locks themselves are purely
mechanical. Anyone breaking into it is going to have to make some noise.

And I don't have to store my keys in an elevator to stop someone with an
amplifier breaking into it.

------
azinman2
Putting batteries in the fridge / freezer will dramatically shorten their
life.

------
yborg
> Steps to stop car thieves

5\. Leave your car in the garage with the door closed

~~~
dewey
Isn't the wireless garage opener security even worse than cars? They probably
open after simply replaying the signal.

~~~
eddyg
Most decent garage door openers use "rolling codes" these days. For example,
Genie's "Intellicode"[0]:

> The Intellicode Access Security System provides state-of-the-art security
> for your home by automatically changing your opener’s access code every time
> you push the remote control button. This prevents an unauthorized person
> from stealing the access code to your opener system and gaining entry to
> your garage.

A quick Google turned up OpenSesame[1] which says this about "rolling codes":

> These are not foolproof from attack, but do prevent the OpenSesame attack
> along with traditional brute forcing attacks. Suggested vendors: current
> products from LiftMaster and Genie.

[0] [http://www.geniecompany.com/garage-door-
openers/retail_std-f...](http://www.geniecompany.com/garage-door-
openers/retail_std-features.aspx)

[1] [http://samy.pl/opensesame/](http://samy.pl/opensesame/)

------
mnxx
Edit: I have been too optimistic. The technology seems much more susceptible
to relay attacks than I expected.

~~~
azinman2
Recently there’s been a rise in auto-thefts in Sausalito using the relay
attack. It’s not theoretical... you’re being overly optimistic.

