Can garage doors be hacked.edited

04 Mar Can garage doors be hacked.edited

Can garage doors be hacked?

Modern technology has seen garage door openers evolve into electronic and digital systems. And just like any other modern thing, they have become more vulnerable to hackers. Having your digital garage door haked is even more dangerous than the traditional padlock, as you often cannot tell that you have been hacked. For most people, the garage is connected to the house, and having hackers gain access to your garage is simply a free entryway into your house.

So, the answer to the question above is yes. Garage doors can be hacked.

How can thieves hack my garage door?

Honestly, with all the latest technology, hacking your garage door is easy pie for thieves. All they need is a bit of aid from computers. Computers can cycle through a whole bunch of possible settings in a short time. Thieves can bypass fixed code remotes by flooding the receiver with possible combinations until the right one opens your door.

Manufacturers are doing their part. Samy Kamkar, a security expert, managed to hack through his own garage door by simply using a cheap antenna add-on and an open source hardware interface. Samy released his code to enable manufacturers to change their remote-control devices for greater security.

To deal with this, manufacturers came up with the rolling codes system. Whenever the remote control is used, the code automatically changes. This makes it quite difficult to make a correct guess.

However, Samy managed to get around rolling codes. ‘Rolljam’ is whereby a pair of radios jam the signal while a third one seals the code that was used in the attempt to open the door. The hacker is then able to use the stolen code without rollover as the receiver does not get the signal. The system, therefore, does not rollover to the next code.

What do I do to protect my garage door from hackers?

If your garage door is less than a decade old, chances are high that you are still using the older fixed code system. You need to ensure that the manufacturer of your garage door uses the rolling code system. In case it isn’t, completely changing your garage door security system should be a top priority.
You can also test to see if your garage door is prone to a hack. Here’s how to check.

A few tips for you:

If you are going to be away from home for a while, install a deadlock on your garage door.

Invest in low security cameras that record activity around your garage doors.

If your garage connects to your home, get a secure inner garage door.

Do not leave your garage door opener inside our car.

When going on a vacation, consider a garage motion detector connected to your local police station

This may sound obvious, but never leave your garage door open. Unfortunately, many trusty neighbors ignore this.

Immediately contact a garage door repair company to service your garage door in the event it’s security features are not working.

Having your garage door completely hacker-proof may not be entirely possible. You can, however, take the above measures to reduce the risk of having your garage door hacked.