Methods
Commonly used tools
- Slide hammer puller to break into the door locks and the cylinder lock.
- Multimeters or a test light to find the source of the battery
- Spare wires and/or a screwdriver to connect the battery source to the ignition and starter wires
- A generic rod and hook toolkit to slip between the car window and car frame and to open the lock behind the window. A common one is called the “Slim Jim“.
- Many keyless ignition/lock cars have weak[4][5] or no[citation needed] cryptographic protection of the unlock signal. Proof-of-concept “thefts” of top-of-the-line luxury cars have been demonstrated by academic researchers using commercially available tools such as RFID microreaders, but is unknown whether the attack has been used for actual theft.
- A firearm or other weapon such as a baseball bat, or a utility knife or a box cutter to threaten a passenger if inside the car
Prevention
There are various methods of prevention to reduce the likelihood of a vehicle getting stolen. These include physical barriers, which make the effort of stealing the vehicle more difficult. Some of these include:
- Devices used to lock a part of the vehicle necessary in its operation, such as the wheel, steering wheel or brake pedal. A popular steering wheel lock is The Club.
- Immobilisers, allowing the vehicle to start only if a key containing the correct chip is present in the ignition.
Chances of theft can also be reduced with various deterrents, which give the impression to the thief that s/he is more likely to get caught if the vehicle is stolen. These include:
- Car alarm systems that are triggered if a breaking and entry into the vehicle occurs
- Microdot identification tags which allow individual parts of a vehicle to be identified
- Killswitch circuits are designed to frustrate or slow down the efforts of a determined car thief. Killswitches are often located between crucial parts of the starting system, between the battery source and the coil, or the fuel pump. A car cannot start without first flipping these killswitches to closed position. Savvy car owners hide these killswitches in obscured areas, under the dashboard, beneath the seat, behind a chair, etc.
- Signage on windows warning of the presence of other deterrents, sometimes in absence of the actual deterrents.
- VIN etching
