How Thieves Are Using Wi-Fi Jammers to Break Into Homes (2024)
(TNS) — A group of thieves have been outsmarting smart devices across the Los Angeles area, authorities said.
In a March 4 statement by the Los Angeles Police Department, officers warn that a group in Wilshire is using Wi-Fi jamming technology to disarm surveillance cameras and alarm systems that rely on Wi-Fi.
This swarm of tech-savvy robberies in California is part of a larger “smart” crime wave happening nationwide. Last year, police in Minnesota and Connecticut issued similar warnings to residents when groups of Wi-Fi jamming thieves made their rounds. And those are just two examples of many.
While the Federal Communications Commission has banned Wi-Fi jamming devices, this doesn’t stop criminals from buying them cheaply, KARE11 reported. Wi-Fi jamming devices don’t necessarily deactivate devices, but work by overloading the network the devices are connected to.
“These (jamming) devices create traffic jams for the radio transmitter so that real traffic cannot get through,” cybersecurity expert Mark Lanterman told the outlet.
“If you are going to use a Wi-Fi camera for your front door, perhaps consider using a hardline camera inside your home,” he said. Wired cameras connected via Ethernet cables do not rely on Wi-Fi networks and would not be disrupted by a Wi-Fi jammer.
Los Angeles police also recommends hard wiring burglary alarm systems.
While “smart” technology may be part of the problem, it may also have a hand in the solution, according to Tom’s Hardware. Officials recommend using timers or smart home devices to make it look like someone is home while you are away. Some smart home technology also comes with the ability to alert users if the signal or connection has been interrupted.
Tom’s Hardware also recommends connecting surveillance devices that store camera footage directly on your device, and not just to a cloud storage system. By having a camera that records to itself, you’ll have footage saved during a Wi-Fi disruption.
The LAPD also encourages people to stay vigilant by locking their doors, relying on neighbors to check on things when away and reporting any strange activity, including suspicious vehicles with temporary or dealer plates.
Radio jamming is the deliberate blocking of or interference with wireless communications. In some cases, jammers work by the transmission of radio signals that disrupt telecommunications by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio. The concept can be used in wireless data networks to disrupt information flow.
' sends a powerful pulse that temporarily disables wireless devices. "Yeah it also disrupts cell signals - anything that uses wireless communications it'll disrupt 100 percent," said Ford. Earlier this year, the LAPD warned residents in Southern California.
The gang places cellular and Wi-Fi jammers around the homes they're targeting. This way, security cameras and phones are useless. A Phoenix police officer told me the gang probably noticed nothing was down in our house. Our home's security cameras and internet are hard-wired.
By emitting a high-energy signal that disrupts Wi-Fi connections, jamming devices disconnect security systems from their networks, leaving luxury primary and secondary residences vulnerable to invasion. In actuality, there are a myriad of ways thieves can exploit WIFI weaknesses to burglarize a home: Signal jamming.
Detection can be made with spectrum analyzer or SDR... or any recorder that have video loss detection. As stated above, any decent security camera system has a video loss/tamper detection alert.
Wi-Fi-jammers are out there, but they are unlikely to pose a threat to your home or any of your devices. Jamming signals need to be very close, have the model of your exact system system and don't work on many home security devices.
The most common symptom of cell phone signal jammer interference is, you guessed it, dropped service. While apps do exist that claim to detect signal jammers, they are largely unproven, and require a working signal to function.
Wi-Fi jamming devices don't necessarily deactivate devices, but work by overloading the network the devices are connected to. “These (jamming) devices create traffic jams for the radio transmitter so that real traffic cannot get through,” cybersecurity expert Mark Lanterman told the outlet.
A WiFi-blocking device is a design that is designed to process signals at a certain distance. Such a jammer interrupts wireless signals in a given range. Civilian devices can block signals at a distance of up to twenty meters.
Another primary line of defense for your WiFi network is a robust password. Ensure that your WiFi password is complex, combining letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable information such as your name or address.
The DET-UJG portable signal jammer detector is an equipment designed to track and locate signal jammers. The device is characterized by high sensitivity and detects all types of jamming noise that cuts off communication in cellular and wireless networks and blocking the proper operation of GPS track..
One technique involves disabling the device's power source or tampering with its wiring, rendering it non-operational. Burglars may also use disguises or cover their faces to avoid being captured on video.
Can Your Wi-Fi Get Hacked? Approximately one in 16 internet-connected home Wi-Fi routers can be remotely accessed by attackers using the manufacturer's default admin password [*].
Federal law prohibits the operation, marketing, or sale of any type of jamming equipment that interferes with authorized radio communications, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS), police radar, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
United States: Mobile phone blocking devices are used by federal officials under certain circ*mstances. For radio communications, it is illegal to operate, manufacture, import, or offer for sale (including advertising) (Communications Act of 1934).
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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