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Comment by z2 | Hacker News Reader

Two factor authentication for cars, here we come! Though, searching for this phenomenon shows articles at least 3 years old warning to get Faraday cages or otherwise wrap fobs in aluminum foil.

But do they really transmit all the time, or do they contain accelerometers or something to prevent battery from being wasted?

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For the 2nd factor, they should have some kind of non-electronic device which when inserted and turned, would allow the activation of the door and ignition of the car.

Yeah so funny how all this modern tech can be compromised more easily than an old fashioned mechanical lock and key. And now I need to worry about putting my car key in a Faraday bag when I'm at home? Ridiculous.

And if you lose your key? $$$ to get a new one. Want a copy for safekeeping or because you have additional drivers for the car? More $$$.

If someone wants to get into your car they will. They will just break a window. If they want the whole car they will get it. The only person who is having a more difficult time is the owner.

>Two factor authentication for cars, here we come!

in other words, requiring a button press.

2FA seems to make sense. Maybe a 4-6 digit pin that would be optional for those in high risk areas/situations.

> But do they really transmit all the time, or do they contain accelerators or something to prevent battery from being wasted?

I'm curious about this as well. A family member has an older Nissan with a keyless fob and I don't recall them ever having to replace batteries/keyfobs.

Some fobs use an inductive coil to recharge a battery within the key while the key is in the ignition.

The fob for my 2007 Altima with keyless start (not entry) has required at least one battery change since I inherited it and is now complaining that the battery is getting low.

Seems like it would be easier to just go back to traditional cut metal keys.

2fa on a car would be a disaster. I can't wait to whip out my phone in the pouring rain, trying to unlock it while my hands are full and I have no signal.

Something you have: keyless fob.

Something you know: numeric unlock code.

Unlocking the doors could be 1FA, but moving the vehicle should require 2FA.

I used to have a numeric lock immobilizer on 3 vehicles starting way back in the early 90s. You had to dial in a 4-6 digit PIN code on a pin pad in the vehicle in order to enable the ignition. You'd need to rip the whole dash apart to enable the ignition to bypass it.

Were these types of immobilizers never a thing here?

Car manufacturers have never put a lot of priority on security in the US. I once unlocked a car, got in, and started the ignition with my key before realizing that the reason the seat and mirrors felt weird was because it was not my car.

I shut it off, exited the vehicle, re-locked it, and saw that my own car was actually the next one down the row. There are only so many combinations of pin heights in a car lock.

I have been paranoid about not keeping valuables in my vehicle ever since. That door lock is only keeping someone out for a few minutes, at best.

American cars have always been notorious for this. You can unlock and start some American cars with a flathead screwdriver.

And/or a fingerprint sensor (could even be in the door handle)

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