Satellite positioning makes it possible to pinpoint the position of any object on a map. One use of GPS trackers is tracking a vehicle's position and making it possible to locate it after a theft. Thieves, however, have specialised in advanced forms of vehicle theft, so a GPS tracker alone is not enough. How can you additionally protect your car against theft with GPS?
Jamming a GPS signal is easier than you think!
GPS trackers need two networks to work – satellite and mobile (internet or SMS). The tracker communicates with the network of satellites orbiting the Earth to calculate its position, then sends this information to a web application in which the user can see the vehicle's current position. The satellite signal, however, is easy to weaken or completely block with concrete or metal elements. A container, a metal body or even driving the vehicle into an underground car park is enough to disrupt the signal. The second, much easier method is to use popular GPS jammers, which cost less than PLN 100 on Allegro. Switching on such a jammer means the tracker cannot determine its current position and keeps transmitting the last remembered location, giving the impression that it has not moved.
A mobile network is essential for sending the current GPS location
We must remember that the determined position still has to be transmitted to the system user. Unfortunately, without access to a mobile network this is impossible. For a few hundred PLN you can buy a new wireless communication jammer online – for calls, SMS messages, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and radio waves. Slightly more expensive jammer models also have a GPS signal jamming function, which makes them a favourite tool of thieves of cars, machinery, motorcycles and all other types of vehicle. Stealing a vehicle using such a device should take no more than a few dozen seconds, and the GPS tracker is helpless. So is there effective protection for a car against theft?
An additional immobiliser provides effective protection for the vehicle against theft
The most popular method of stealing vehicles is to break the security, start the engine and drive away from the scene without arousing any suspicion. To protect a car against theft more effectively, it is worth using an additional immobiliser. An immobiliser is a device consisting of an integrated circuit and an electromagnetic relay. Its operating principle is very simple – when an attempt is made to start the engine, the immobiliser interrupts a selected electrical circuit in the vehicle and looks in its surroundings (approx. 5 metres) for a special identifier in the form of a card, tag or key fob. If it establishes a connection within a few attempts, it closes the electrical circuit again and allows the engine to start. Otherwise the car behaves as if the battery were flat. It is worth noting that an immobiliser cannot be bypassed by using GSM or GPS jammers.
A shock sensor detects an attempt to tow the car away during a theft
Some GPS trackers have built-in motion sensors which, based on an accelerometer, detect movement of the vehicle or a change in its tilt while parked, which very likely indicates an attempted theft. Protecting a car, machine or motorcycle against theft is much more effective when the vehicle user receives an SMS notification of a potential theft in time. Information that an attempt to tow the vehicle away is in progress gives a chance to check the cause immediately or send the emergency services to the scene.
How to detect whether a GPS tracker is being jammed during a car theft?
The Navifleet app has an advanced diagnostic module that monitors the correct operation of devices. GPS trackers follow one scenario while driving and another while parked. Special diagnostic algorithms examine the tracker's behaviour and transmission frequency, then detect anomalies and alert the vehicle owner. The GPS system also reports which networks are potentially being jammed – GPS or GSM. Using this feature guarantees immediate detection of a theft attempt under various scenarios – towing, GSM jamming or GPS jamming. GPS anti-theft protection is one of the most effective methods.
Real-time alerts when the vehicle leaves the permitted area or is used without authorisation
To protect a vehicle against theft effectively, the security system must be sealed as tightly as possible, so the most basic forms of protecting a car against theft should not be forgotten. The Navifleet platform alerts the user when, on selected days and at set times, the vehicle leaves a designated zone. An additional advantage of the system is a notification of an unauthorised attempt to start the engine, which may indicate car theft.
Summary
How can you additionally protect your car against theft? Use as many of the available tools included in GPS tracking as possible. A GPS tracker's operation is very easy to jam, and the absence of a diagnostic system does not guarantee good protection against car theft. In practice, only a suitable diagnostic system that detects anomalies in communication between the tracker and the server will effectively raise the alarm about an attempted theft.
