“Keyless Go” vehicles have been around for a number of years already and are still proving to be very popular. Many drivers appreciate the comfort and luxury of being able to get into their car and start the engine without having to dig around for their keys.

And they’re not the only ones. There are plenty of car thieves who also like the convenience of passive keyless entry systems – because if they have certain sophisticated equipment, they can electronically hack into them and drive away in someone else’s prized possession within just a few minutes.

Vehicle theft is becoming so advanced that thousands of “Keyless Go” vehicles (including Audis, BMWs, Porches and Fords) are at risk of being stolen each year through electronic hacking or key cloning. It’s an industry-wide problem that major car manufacturers and the metropolitan police in the UK are trying to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

How keyless entry and ignition systems work

In “Keyless Go” vehicles, the driver has a smart key or key fob which they keep with them on their person. It communicates with the vehicle wirelessly once the key fob is within range of the vehicle to allow the driver to unlock the vehicle by simply pulling the door handles.

The driver doesn’t need to touch the car key itself. The driver can then start the vehicle by pressing a start button inside, as long as the key fob is also inside the car (or in some cases, slotted into the dashboard).

So how do thieves break into “Keyless Go” vehicles?

In the event of the driver losing their key fob, many keyless vehicle systems include a feature that allows replacement key fobs to be programmed from data held in the vehicle’s electronics. This feature is protected by security software but unfortunately car theft is becoming so advanced that some hackers have managed to crack security codes and develop devices that can access the vehicle’s data and effectively “clone” a key. The process of key cloning