What Are Faraday Bags?

Picture this – you park your car outside your home, lock it with your key fob, and head inside, thinking it’s safe. But while you sleep, a tech-savvy thief armed with a signal-boosting device hijacks your car’s keyless entry system, without ever touching your keys and without setting off the car alarm. By the time you wake up, your vehicle is gone.

This alarming method of keyless vehicle theft is on the rise, which has accounted for as much as 40% of thefts during 2022-2023 in England and Wales. Criminals are now using increasingly sophisticated technology to exploit modern security systems – but there’s a simple, affordable solution to protect your car from these digital pickpockets: Faraday bags. In this article, we’ll explore what Faraday bags are, how they work, and why they’re essential for keeping your keyless vehicle safe from high-tech thieves.

What Is A Faraday Bag?

If you have never heard of them, you are probably wondering “What is a Faraday pouch?”. Faraday pouches, also known as Faraday bags, are simple yet highly effective accessories designed to block electromagnetic signals. This concept is named after scientist Michael Faraday, who discovered in 1836 that a conductive enclosure, now named a Faraday cage, could block external electric fields.

He focused on how an electrical conductor like a charged metal cage only demonstrated charge on its surface, but not in its interior. Since then, Faraday cages evolved to more practical uses. In today’s modern world, there have been many uses for inventions that function as portable Faraday items.

How Do Faraday Pouches Work?

While this scientific concept behind Faraday’s discovery originally wasn’t intended for the technology of today’s smart cars in the 21st century, he was more interested in exploring how electricity operated as a conductor. Since then, however, it has been applied to modern uses for signal-blocking. Today, a Faraday pouch is a small, fabric-lined bag made with layers of metallic or conductive materials that block wireless signals.

So, do Faraday pouches work? They do, and here’s how:

1. Signal Blocking: The pouch’s inner lining acts as a shield, blocking radio frequency (RF) signals like those used in keyless entry systems.
2. Prevention of Relay Attacks: Since thieves use relay devices to capture and amplify your key fob’s signal, storing your keys in a Faraday pouch cuts off this communication completely.

Significance of Signal Blocking for Car Keys

In an era where keyless car entry systems offer convenience, they also come with a major security risk: relay attacks. Criminals can exploit the wireless signals emitted by your key fob to unlock and start your vehicle, without ever needing the physical key. This growing threat makes signal blocking a crucial step in protecting your car from theft.

When your smart key fob is inside, it prevents signals from being intercepted, relayed, or cloned by thieves using relay attack devices. Without an active signal, criminals can’t trick your car into unlocking or starting remotely. By using a Faraday pouch, this must-have car key accessory creates a simple but powerful barrier against keyless car theft, ensuring that your vehicle remains secure – even when criminals try their most advanced tricks.

 

Practical Uses and Benefits

A Faraday bag has a great many uses, from protecting key fobs to other personal items, such as:

1. Preventing Relay Attacks on Key Fobs: Thieves use signal boosters to extend the range of your key fob, tricking your car into thinking the key is nearby – blocking the signal stops this attack before it starts.
2. Stopping Remote Key Cloning: Some hackers use advanced radio frequency identification (RFID) cloning techniques to copy your key’s signal and create a duplicate – but a Faraday pouch or box ensures your key’s unique signal remains secure.
3. Enhancing Overall Vehicle Security: Modern car security systems rely on encrypted signals, but relay theft bypasses this entirely – by keeping your key fob in a signal-blocking pouch, it adds an extra layer of defence to your vehicle’s security system.
4. Protecting Other Personal Data: Faraday pouches don’t just block car key signals – they also safeguard contactless bank cards, passports, and smartphones from RFID skimming and tracking.

What Other Security Measures Should I Consider?

While using a Faraday pouch is an effective way to prevent keyless car theft, it’s best to combine it with additional security measures for maximum protection. Taking action to protect both your keys and your vehicle will boost your overall security efforts.

In addition to using a Faraday cage car through a pouch, here are some additional security steps you can take:

1. Store Your Keys Safely: Keep your key fob in a Faraday pouch when not in use. Store spare keys away from doors and windows to prevent signal interception. Consider using a Faraday box for extra protection at home
   Fun Fact: If you’re wondering what is a Faraday box – it uses the same concept, but is an enclosed container built with conductive material to shield items in its interior.
2. Add Van Locks to Commercial Vehicles: Van locks add further security measures using slam locks, deadlocks, hook locks, or electronic locking systems.
3. Use a Steering Wheel Lock: A visible deterrent like a steering wheel lock makes it harder for thieves to drive away, even if they manage to unlock your car.
4. Install a Car Alarm: A high-quality car alarm can alert you and scare off thieves.
5. Consider an Immobiliser: A Ghost Immobiliser prevents key-cloning, hacking, and unauthorised access to your vehicle.
6. Park Safely, Smartly: Park in well-lit, busy areas to reduce the risk of theft and if possible, use a locked garage or secure parking space.
7. Consider a GPS Tracker: A vehicle tracking device can help locate your car if it gets stolen and may also give real-time alerts if your vehicle moves unexpectedly when parked.

Pro Tip: Aim to combine more than one of these security measures to significantly reduce the risk of car theft and keep your vehicle safe from high-tech criminals.

Conclusion

Faraday bags block radio frequency signals, preventing thieves from intercepting or amplifying your key fob’s signal. This simple and affordable solution helps stop relay attacks and remote cloning, ensuring your vehicle remains secure. By using a Faraday bag, you add an extra layer of protection to your keyless car.

FAQs

What can I use instead of a Faraday pouch?

Instead of a Faraday pouch, you can use a metal container like an aluminium tin or a wire mesh bag to block the signal. These can act as makeshift Faraday cages, though they may not be as effective or portable as a dedicated pouch. For best results, it’s recommended to use a purpose-built Faraday bag.

Is a biscuit tin as good as a Faraday pouch?

While in theory, a biscuit tin seems like it provides metal protection, it may not be as reliable in protecting your car key signal. Instead, try sourcing a true Faraday bag – but if you want to craft a DIY Faraday device, aim for a container consisting of an alloy. These include stainless steel, aluminium alloys, or steel alloys.

What are the disadvantages of Faraday bags?

Some of the main disadvantages of a Faraday bag include inconvenience and practicality. They are not the best option for someone who requires continuous connectivity. Also, the design may seem bulky and limited in its holding capacity.

Is a microwave door a Faraday cage?

Yes, microwaves are designed as a form of Faraday cages, functioning to heat food and then withhold heat. As microwaves can’t pass through metal, metals are used in food containers and microwave ovens. Remember to always remove aluminium, metal seals or other metals on food containers before putting them in the microwave before heating to avoid microwave radiation and dangerous sparking.