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From Asahi Shimbun:
Device lets car thieves defeat immobilizers.
2010/12/31
Thieves have found a new way to steal cars equipped with anti-theft immobilizer key systems.
They rely on a simple device, currently readily available in Japan because it is not classified as illegal.
The immobilizer system has been considered a reliable means to protect a vehicle, because the engine will only start if the code programmed into the key matches that assigned to the car's computer.
However, some miscreants have obtained so-called immobilizer cutters, which reprogram the code assigned to the engine, allowing it to be started with a fake key.
Because there are no laws currently on the books to regulate the sale or possession of these devices, security experts are urging greater caution among those who own cars with immobilizer systems.
Insight on how the immobilizer cutter works can be found in a case this year in which the Aichi prefectural police arrested four men over the theft of 36 vehicles. All the vehicles had immobilizers. The combined value of the vehicles came to 110 million yen (US$1.3 million).
A police search of locations connected to the four men led to the discovery of an immobilizer cutter. Connecting the device to a car caused the car's computer to misread the code in a fake key as the proper match and allowed the engine to start.
Under questioning by police, one member of the group reportedly said: "After hearing rumors, I searched the Internet and bought one for 26,000 yen. We were able to easily steal several different car models with one device."
Since first appearing in the late 1990s, immobilizer systems have spread beyond only high-end models. According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, there were 156 models in 2009 that used immobilizers.
The device bought by the Aichi thief was apparently a dubious copy of a device used by dealers and service shops to program spare keys for immobilizer-equipped vehicles. A similar device is used to check for defects as well as to reprogram an immobilizer.
In November, Aichi police arrested a 60-year-old man in Kyoto selling electronic equipment through the Internet on suspicion of aiding and abetting car thefts.
Police found two immobilizer cutters at the man's home. He admitted to police that he bought about 300 of the devices for between 2,000 and 3,000 yen each and resold them.
Officials of the National Police Agency first became aware of the device in February. While there are no statistics yet for the number of cases involving the use of the device, high-ranking police officials are concerned about an increase of stolen cars because of it.
In the past, the common way to steal cars with immobilizers was by reconnecting the vehicle's computer to a special device that started the engine. The process took about five minutes, practically an eternity for a car thief. The immobilizer cutter gets the engine running in one or two minutes.
Nationwide last year, there were 18,777 cars stolen that did not have keys left in the car. While that figure is half what it was five years ago, cars with immobilizers accounted for 1,525 cases, an increase of about 20 percent in the same period.
As is often the case with such dubious devices, the immobilizer cutter apparently has its roots in China. According to officials of Nagoya-based SBD Japan, which specializes in car security, the cutters first began trading in China.
However, their original purpose was to solve a problem of practicality.
Across China's huge land mass, an insufficient automobile service network, including car repair shops in remote regions, needed an inexpensive, compact device to service cars with immobilizers.
Fortunately, immobilizer systems have become much more sophisticated in recent years, meaning that the devices circulating now may not work on the latest car models.
A Toyota official said all measures had been implemented to deal with immobilizer cutters.
However, an SBD Japan official said: "Devices that can work on the latest models will likely hit the market in time. The cat-and-mouse game between carmakers and thieves will continue."
Officials of the National Police Agency are going through industry bodies to ask carmakers to develop more advanced security systems.
While police officials have also asked Internet auction operators to disallow immobilizer cutters on their websites, the devices continue to be sold online.
SBD Japan officials suggest using steering lock bars, installing sensor alarms, parking in well-lit, highly visible locations, and not leaving belongings in the car to prevent theft.
(This article was written by Takuya Kado, Takuro Yagi and Kazumichi Kubota.)
Device lets car thieves defeat immobilizers.
2010/12/31
Thieves have found a new way to steal cars equipped with anti-theft immobilizer key systems.
They rely on a simple device, currently readily available in Japan because it is not classified as illegal.
The immobilizer system has been considered a reliable means to protect a vehicle, because the engine will only start if the code programmed into the key matches that assigned to the car's computer.
However, some miscreants have obtained so-called immobilizer cutters, which reprogram the code assigned to the engine, allowing it to be started with a fake key.
Because there are no laws currently on the books to regulate the sale or possession of these devices, security experts are urging greater caution among those who own cars with immobilizer systems.
Insight on how the immobilizer cutter works can be found in a case this year in which the Aichi prefectural police arrested four men over the theft of 36 vehicles. All the vehicles had immobilizers. The combined value of the vehicles came to 110 million yen (US$1.3 million).
A police search of locations connected to the four men led to the discovery of an immobilizer cutter. Connecting the device to a car caused the car's computer to misread the code in a fake key as the proper match and allowed the engine to start.
Under questioning by police, one member of the group reportedly said: "After hearing rumors, I searched the Internet and bought one for 26,000 yen. We were able to easily steal several different car models with one device."
Since first appearing in the late 1990s, immobilizer systems have spread beyond only high-end models. According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, there were 156 models in 2009 that used immobilizers.
The device bought by the Aichi thief was apparently a dubious copy of a device used by dealers and service shops to program spare keys for immobilizer-equipped vehicles. A similar device is used to check for defects as well as to reprogram an immobilizer.
In November, Aichi police arrested a 60-year-old man in Kyoto selling electronic equipment through the Internet on suspicion of aiding and abetting car thefts.
Police found two immobilizer cutters at the man's home. He admitted to police that he bought about 300 of the devices for between 2,000 and 3,000 yen each and resold them.
Officials of the National Police Agency first became aware of the device in February. While there are no statistics yet for the number of cases involving the use of the device, high-ranking police officials are concerned about an increase of stolen cars because of it.
In the past, the common way to steal cars with immobilizers was by reconnecting the vehicle's computer to a special device that started the engine. The process took about five minutes, practically an eternity for a car thief. The immobilizer cutter gets the engine running in one or two minutes.
Nationwide last year, there were 18,777 cars stolen that did not have keys left in the car. While that figure is half what it was five years ago, cars with immobilizers accounted for 1,525 cases, an increase of about 20 percent in the same period.
As is often the case with such dubious devices, the immobilizer cutter apparently has its roots in China. According to officials of Nagoya-based SBD Japan, which specializes in car security, the cutters first began trading in China.
However, their original purpose was to solve a problem of practicality.
Across China's huge land mass, an insufficient automobile service network, including car repair shops in remote regions, needed an inexpensive, compact device to service cars with immobilizers.
Fortunately, immobilizer systems have become much more sophisticated in recent years, meaning that the devices circulating now may not work on the latest car models.
A Toyota official said all measures had been implemented to deal with immobilizer cutters.
However, an SBD Japan official said: "Devices that can work on the latest models will likely hit the market in time. The cat-and-mouse game between carmakers and thieves will continue."
Officials of the National Police Agency are going through industry bodies to ask carmakers to develop more advanced security systems.
While police officials have also asked Internet auction operators to disallow immobilizer cutters on their websites, the devices continue to be sold online.
SBD Japan officials suggest using steering lock bars, installing sensor alarms, parking in well-lit, highly visible locations, and not leaving belongings in the car to prevent theft.
(This article was written by Takuya Kado, Takuro Yagi and Kazumichi Kubota.)