A serial burglar in Edina, Minnesota is accused of using a Wi-Fi jammer to destroy connected security cameras, steal his victims’ valuable possessions, and then flee. Minnesota generally doesn’t have a reputation as a technology hotbed. So readers will not be surprised to hear that reports of her Wi-Fi jammers being used to facilitate robberies in the United States go back several years. PSA: Even criminals are using technology, and there are more of them now. Therefore, homeowners should consider mitigation measures.
Edina police suspect nine robberies in the past six months were carried out with Wi-Fi jammers deployed to prevent investigators from obtaining incriminating video evidence. . The thieves’ methods may be as follows:
- Find housing in wealthy areas
- The thief carefully monitors the house
- The robbers appear to be waiting until the house is empty to avoid a confrontation.
- Robbers take advantage of a vacant house and set up a Wi-Fi jamming device.
- “Safes, jewelry, and other high-end designer items” are usually taken
Security experts interviewed by source publication KARE11 explained that jammers simply confuse wireless devices rather than blocking signals. They typically work by overloading wireless traffic “so that no real traffic can get through,” the news site said.
Interference with wireless security devices is on the rise
A retrospective search for news reports of robberies in which Wi-Fi jammers were or may have been used revealed a wealth of previous evidence of this activity. A Ring community post about a missing porch thief was posted in January 2020 after one of his wireless doorbells from the company suffered a Wi-Fi deauthentication attack. Also, in 2021 he can easily find reports of robberies using Wi-Fi jamming technology. 2022, 2023 – Reports will become more frequent over time.
We mentioned Ring as one of the companies that popularized video doorbells to solve multiple home security concerns, but other wireless smart home security products from Blink (Amazon) and Nest (Google) also rely on radio signals. Becomes vulnerable to interference.
Worryingly, by 2024, Wi-Fi jamming will be almost trivial to potential thieves. KARE11 notes that jamming devices can be purchased online very easily and cheaply, with prices ranging from $40 to $1,000. Jammers are not legal to use in the United States, but they are very easy to purchase online.
Before that, I have some suggestions for those wondering about the effectiveness of home security systems with wireless components. First, physically connect some devices that allow for wired connectivity and local storage of footage. The second is to take advantage of smart home technology that makes it look like someone is home. Your device may also have the ability to send you alerts when your signal or connection is interrupted, so it may be worth experimenting with those settings.
