Beware of the increase in burglaries during the holidays! And connected surveillance cameras may not be enough, as criminals are now jamming the Wi-Fi of targeted homes to go unnoticed!
With the school holidays in full swing, many travelers rely on their surveillance cameras to protect their homes and keep them safe from burglaries. A way to leave with a lighter mind! But the criminals have not said their last word! As reported by local authorities in Minnesota, United States, burglars are now using Wi-Fi jammers to disable Wi-Fi routers in the homes they target, disabling connected home security systems in the process. owners, including surveillance cameras. Once inside, they steal safes, jewelry and other luxury items. This technique has already been used in nine burglaries over the past six months.
Wi-Fi jammer: a simple, but effective way
A signal jammer is a device that disrupts reception between antennas and wirelessly connected devices (VHF, UHF, GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, GPS). Initially, these tools were developed for use by the military and law enforcement to combat threats such as cell phone-detonated explosives and hostage situations. The jammer does not block the Wi-Fi signal, but overloads wireless networks. To put it simply, it creates a sort of signal traffic jam. This causes traffic to become so congested that the actual connection cannot reach the connected devices. Note that the victims were not chosen at random, because criminals have the habit of monitoring houses in wealthy neighborhoods and entering them when they are unoccupied, in order to avoid confrontations.
These jammers interfere with authorized radio communications, including cellular and personal communications services, police radar and global positioning systems – so they prevent emergency, ambulance, fire, police, aviation services, etc., which makes them dangerous. In the United States, federal laws prohibit the marketing of this type of equipment to individuals, businesses or schools. Even local police departments do not have the authority to use it independently.
It is the same thing in France, whether it is their importation, their advertising, their transfer free of charge or for a fee, their putting into circulation, their installation, their possession or their use, which is punishable by a penalty of up to to six months in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros. However, Wi-Fi jammers can be very easily purchased online, ranging in price from $40 to $1,000. In recent years, these devices have been used to bypass connected security systems, such as Ring video doorbells. To mitigate the risks posed by burglaries using Wi-Fi jammers, it is better to have a surveillance camera with local storage, not in the cloud. It is also advisable to install security alarms and lights that do not rely on wireless networks. When it comes to securing a home, you can never be too careful!