CASES OF VEHICLE ROBBERIES INCREASED ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Reversion of Trend

During the Covid-19 pandemic, restrictions to the circulation of assets, people and vehicles provoked a steep reduction in the number of several crimes, like robberies. However, with the lifting of the isolation measures, the reduction trend seen in some crimes reversed. This was the case for vehicle robberies and thefts.

In 2022, 373,225 vehicle robberies/thefts were reported in the country. When the social isolation measures were in place, they had a sharp reduction, but grew by 8% in the last year. Most incidents are thefts (60.3%), thus, actions with no violence involved, which represents a good factor, but stresses the need to properly protect vehicles when parked, and the belongings they carry.

High Rates

Some states in particular present very high rates of vehicle robbery and theft. The leading state in this ranking is Rio de Janeiro, with 562 cases per 100,000 vehicles. Pernambuco, in the Northeast region, comes in second, with 534 cases per 100,000 vehicles. The third and fourth places are also in the same region, Piauí concentrates a rate of 492 incidents, and Rio Grande do Norte, 421. Finally, the fifth position belongs to São Paulo, with a rate of 414 incidents.

A Successful Strategy

Despite consecutive increases recorded in 2021 and 2022, in addition to the high rate still reported for the state, São Paulo has significantly reduced its numbers of vehicle robbery and theft for almost a decade.

The peak was seen in 2014, when 221.532 robberies and thefts were recorded, which represented a rate of 502 per 100,000 vehicles. Since then, the new policies implemented by the state administration associated to other actions, managed to reduce cases significantly, reaching the lowest total in 2020, when under the pandemic restrictions, the total was 97,615, with a rate of 317.1.

The movement is attributed to new laws that repress the illegal sales of parts removed from stolen vehicles. Other states followed the example and obtained good results.

Attacks Targeting the Key Signal and the Media Center

Nowadays, vehicles are quickly aggregating digital technologies. More and more electronic parts have become essential components of the automotive industry. The level of dependency on digital technologies is so high that after the worst phase of the pandemic, a sudden return on demand for chips led to difficulties for manufacturers to produce cars due to shortage of these items in the international market.

On the other hand, experts have already warned that such techs represent new breaches for criminals to steal vehicles. For instance, many thieves are now using signal relays to reproduce the signal sent by a car key, so they are able to steal the car. They have found ways to do that using the electronic parts of the car lights (the CAN system) as well. Another security concern among modern vehicles is the onboard computer system, also called the infotainment system. One example is the possibility that attackers could execute “remote codes” to deliver malicious code to the vehicle’s computer system.

Attacks using the techniques reported above have already been reported in the United States, the infotainment system served as an entry point for attackers, who introduced their own code through it to send commands to the car’s physical components, such as the engine and wheels. An attack like this clearly has the potential to harm the vehicle’s operation, causing accidents.

IoV: Another Opportunity for Attacks

The Internet of Vehicles or IoV is a network of cars and other vehicles that can exchange data over the internet. The objective is to improve transport by making it more autonomous, safe and efficient.

IoV could position the car on the highway, while constantly scans the exterior identifying obstacles, streets, weather, and monitoring other factors, which could enable driverless driving.

Nevertheless, since cars remain connected to a network, they become even more vulnerable to hacker attacks. Some of these systems could also leave our vehicles exposed to theft and malicious attacks as criminals identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the new technology.

The Brazilian Case

In Brazil, criminals have proven to be very adaptative and as soon as new opportunities arise, they do not tend to let it pass. When electronic keys came to the market, thieves soon found ways to bypass its protections, or simply block the signal when the driver was attempting to lock it. So, even though the command to close the doors is given, the system does not lock it, because the signal is interrupted. Many vehicles have been stolen this way, even inside controlled parking lots.

As Brazil’s fleet of vehicles is gradually updated, the opportunities for criminals with advanced skills in electronics and programming, and desire for less risky and more stealthy actions become more and more abundant. The mentioned superior numbers of vehicle thefts reveal that even now, when the high connectivity of IoV is not yet a reality, criminals already focus on furtive approaches.

At the same time, the possibilities offered by the digital features in vehicles are an important selling point for competitive automakers, and something customers are already used to. Thus, they are here to stay despite the risks.

Therefore, the industry will have to start presenting solutions for improved security features, while consumers must seek extra protection provided by assurances. Additional security features, such as an independent GPS tracker for the vehicle, and extreme caution when parking are important too.

Furthermore, legislators and law enforcement will also have to think ahead of the criminals and prepare measures to expand rules that worked, like the one that repressed the sales of stolen parts in São Paulo. They must also cooperate with e-commerce companies to prevent the migration of the auto parts black market to online stores.

Sources: BBC [1], [2], [3]; CNN; G1.