After I started investing in gold instead of stocks and bonds, I realized that my cheap house safe was just not going to do the trick. I wanted to protect the hundreds of thousands of dollars that I had in gold, so I started shopping around for stronger, more durable safes. I was able to find a company that offered incredible locks and safes for reasonable prices, so I reached out to them for help. They were amazing to work with, and they even came out to my house to help me to fit the area for size. This blog is all about shopping for a better safe.
We all value the convenience that a keyless entry system offers for our vehicles, but that convenience often comes at a price. As technology marches on, car thieves are becoming even savvier when it comes to the latest tools and tactics. Many of those involve using your own car's key fob against it, giving car thieves completely unhindered access to your vehicle without you knowing it.
Fortunately, there are a few precautions you can take to safeguard your vehicle against thieves. Some of these may even sound a bit strange — at least until you find out the method behind the madness. Talk with a locksmith about car keys to better understand how you can access your car safely.
Wrap Things Up
You'd be surprised at how a little aluminum foil can go a long way towards protecting your vehicle against theft. Today's proximity key fobs emit a low-powered signal that tells your vehicle when to unlock its doors or when it's ready to start the engine. An enterprising thief can use a variety of tools to amplify this signal over longer distances, letting the thief unlock the door and take off using your own key fob without handling the fob itself.
The simple act of wrapping your key fob in multiple layers of aluminum foil can hinder attempts to unlock and start your vehicle. As an electrical conductor of sorts, the aluminum foil creates an impromptu Faraday Cage that prevents signals from being received or sent. As long as the fob is completely wrapped in foil, you'll be able to block out those RFID signals your vehicle uses.
If you're not all that handy with aluminum foil, there are also plenty of pre-made wallets and pouches that can shield your key fob and RFID-based cards
Keeping Your Key Fob on Ice
It's not just aluminum foil that's capable of blocking RFID signals. Surrounding your key fob with enough metal can also do the trick, which makes your freezer an ideal place to temporarily keep your fob and your vehicle secure. Similar to the aluminum foil trick, your freezer offers enough layers of metal between it and your key fob to create a Faraday Cage-like effect, preventing signals from your key fob from reaching your vehicle and vice-versa.
The only downside is that you might find your key fob a bit frost-bitten from its time in the cold. It's a good idea to check with your auto manufacturer and make sure your key fob can survive a brief spell in the freezer without sustaining damage.
If your key fob can't take the cold, you can leave it in your microwave oven instead. Just make sure you remember to remove your key fob before using your microwave, otherwise you could be in for a shocking surprise.
No Battery, No Problem
A somewhat extreme way of combating high-tech car theft involves removing the small battery that lies within your key fob. Doing so will remove the key fob's source of power, preventing it from transmitting to your vehicle. One major downside is that you'll now have to use the physical key included in the fob to lock and unlock your vehicle. Another downside is that you may have to reprogram the key fob after putting the battery back in.
Lock It Up
Most car thieves only target what they readily see, so keeping your vehicle out of sight may also keep it out of a thief's mind. If you have a lockable garage, now is the time to use it to protect your vehicle from open view. This not only deters most thieves from stealing your vehicle, but it also provides plenty of other protective benefits, including the protection of your vehicle's paint finish against the elements.
Share25 July 2017
