The cost of car thefts and robberies rose to a record £376m (£1m) in 2018, a 29% YoY increase, driven by a rise in so-called relay attacks involving keyless vehicles, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Relay attacks use devices to boost the signal sent from a car to a key, fooling the vehicle into unlocking and starting. ABI said the practice led to $492m in daily payouts. Automotive safety group Thatcham Research said six out of 10 new cars with keyless systems had no security to prevent relay attacks.
The cost of car thefts and robberies rose to a record £376m ($492m) in 2018, a 29% YoY increase, driven by a rise in so-called relay attacks involving keyless vehicles, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Relay attacks use devices to boost the signal sent from a car to a key, fooling the vehicle into unlocking and starting. ABI said the practice led to £1m in daily payouts. Automotive safety group Thatcham Research said six out of 10 new cars with keyless systems had no security to prevent relay attacks.