Wi-Fi blockers and jammers are a notable topic in news reports about burglars in 2024, but is your smart home security in jeopardy?
One of the big selling points of smart home security is that it can make your home safer and more convenient. But you may have seen reports in 2024 about burglars using new technology to block Wi-Fi signals, jamming valuable camera systems or video doorbell connections and rendering them useless. This news report discusses police warnings about break-ins using Wi-Fi jammers in Los Angeles and Glendale, and here's a scary-sounding story about jammer burglars hitting homes in Minneapolis.
If you're worried, you're like many other homeowners who worry that their devices -- especially Wi-Fi cameras and sensors -- won't alert them in the presence of mobile Wi-Fi blockers, catch the thief, or even call a monitoring station for help.
Wi-Fi jammers do exist, but they are unlikely to pose a threat to your home or any of your devices.
Let’s summarize your reasons to stay calm:
However, Wi-Fi jamming technology does exist, and despite FCC laws p
Karyn Wall has lived in Lemon Grove for the past 20 years, and to her knowledge, her home has never been targeted by criminals. However, she recently learned how vulnerable her home is to would-be burglars.
“My husband and I feel very secure, but I know we may need to do something about the house, the interior, the lighting, etc.,” Wall said.
Shanah Clevenger is a crime prevention specialist with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department who runs the free Lemon Grove Home Security Consultation Program. She’ll consider anything that can be done to bolster home security, no matter the budget.
“Some of my suggestions are quick and easy and don’t cost a lot,” Clevenger said. “I just suggest: do what you can, or do it incrementally until you feel your home is secure.”
That security measure includes protection against a relatively unknown type of wifi jammer. NBC 7 Responds spoke to cybersecurity expert Jim Stickley about these devices, who said that even though they are illegal in the U.S., there are several websites where you can buy them and have them delivered to your door.
"I mean, you shouldn't panic," Stickley said. "It's real, but the number of criminals who actually use it is relatively small."
Jammers disable Wi-Fi devices by overloading the Wi-Fi frequency, or any radio frequency, and large jammers have a fairly wide range of interference, Stickley said.
"It could take out a whole house, or even a couple of houses around me, and take out all the Wi-Fi," Stickley said.
Once the Wi-Fi is down, criminals can break in without the cameras capturing it.
Wired cameras won't be affected by signal jammer, of course. Remember: The memory chip will record video whether or not there's Wi-Fi. Plus, some security systems offer systems that send owners notifications when Wi-Fi is down.
"If you get a notification that the Wi-Fi can't communicate with the camera, you can say, 'OK, something might be wrong,' and then you can call a neighbor and say, 'Hey, can you go check it out for me?'" Stickley said.
Wall said she couldn’t imagine coming home one day to find her home ransacked by strangers.
“That would be horrible,” Wall said. “That would be horrible because you’d be worried if there was someone else in the house and wouldn’t want to go in. That would be a very scary situation.”
Wall hopes to continue living safely in Lemon Grove for another 20 years.
The sheriff’s department said technology is important to keep your family and home safe, but it’s just as important that you and your neighbors look out for each other. They can also help start a neighborhood watch program.
The Morris County Police Department is warning residents about a new home invasion technique that involves jamming Wi-Fi signals, making it impossible for residents to call for help or access security cameras while thieves are inside the home.
Police say the technique was used by thieves in an unsuccessful burglary in Florham Park earlier this week.
According to a social media post by Florham Park Police Chief Joseph Orlando, authorities believe the suspect is part of a South American burglary ring that uses Wi-Fi jammers.
"While Wi-Fi jammers are nothing new to the criminal world, this is the first time we have seen or heard of them being used in Morris County," Orlando said. "The advancement in criminal technology used by these criminal gangs is alarming."
A resident of Lincoln Avenue in Florham Park was in his basement around 11:30 a.m. Monday when he heard a loud bang coming from the first floor, police said. He checked his home's security cameras and saw a man trying to gain entry to his home.
Soon after, the resident's camera system and cell phone lost service, indicating the suspect had used a Wi-Fi signal jammers to disable any Wi-Fi-enabled device, police said.
The suspect fled after realizing the resident was home, police said.
Still unable to use his cell phone to call for help because of the jammer, the resident ran out to the street to get help, police said. A pedestrian called 911.
Florham Park police arrived less than a minute later and searched for the suspect, authorities said. The Madison Police Department and Morris County Sheriff's Office also assisted in the search, but the man was not found.
Police said they suspected the man was part of a South American burglary ring that used Wi-Fi jammers, but they did not elaborate on any other connections between Monday's attempted burglary and the ring's previous crimes.
"These criminals are of South American descent and typically work in groups of three, park their getaway vehicles on adjacent streets, and utilize various pre-operative surveillance techniques to track their targets' patterns and behaviors to minimize the likelihood that they will commit thefts while residents are home," police said.
Police said gang members also used surveillance cameras (disguised as landscape plants to blend into the home's outdoor landscaping) to monitor movement in and out of homes before attempting to break in.
Police said the gang's surveillance cameras can be disguised in a variety of ways.
"They come in a variety of forms, including fake utility boxes, flower pots, tree stumps, rocks and boulders, and even those funny owls that move their heads, supposedly to repel critters," police said. "Basically, you know what's in your yard or front landscaping area and what doesn't belong to you."
Members of the South American burglary gang have committed burglaries across the country, including Baltimore, Los Angeles, Indiana and Florida. In April, the FBI warned of the presence of an international organized burglary ring in Indiana.
The FBI said the gangs typically target homes in affluent neighborhoods while residents are away and often steal high-end jewelry, accessories and cash. Officials said the gang members traveled to the United States to commit the thefts.
"While we are still investigating this incident, the only response strategy we can offer at this time is to install a surveillance camera system in your home and install a landline to combat Wi-Fi jammers," Florham Park police said. "In addition, regularly check your landscaping for any potential disguised surveillance devices and contact the police department immediately if you find such a device."
Officials are also asking Florham Park residents near Lincoln Avenue, Cathedral Avenue and Lockwood Road to check their surveillance systems between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday for signs of potential suspects or vehicles
Police said the suspect in Monday's suspected burglary attempt was a man wearing tan or beige pants, a dark shirt and a face mask.
News of break-ins these days show quite a few security camera captures, but in many of them the perpetrator is covering their face. So ultimately I’m not so sure how much security cameras (even wired ones that capture clear images) can really protect a property.
It appears even traditional alarm systems would be disabled by a signal blockers since all the sensors’ signal would be blocked as well.
I have NEVER considered a WiFi connected device to be any sort of serious security device. For a serious security device, it needs to be wired (power and data), and the video recorded locally with serious backup power (no, a 15 minute UPS does not qualify). I do have what would likely be considered a Pro-sumer level video camera system, with hours of backup power.
With that said, I have over 40 Wyze cameras, and I do use them regularly as they are quite a bit less expensive than my wired system, and the software is more convenient for a quick look remotely.
Two of the most common attacks are a simple broadband signal generator and a specific WiFi De-Authentication. In the case of the first, the jammer simply broadcasts a strong enough signal that the intended signals are covered in noise. An audio example would be trying to talk back and forth with someone 100 feet away in an empty stadium. That would likely work fine, but now add 50,000 other people and there is so much noise that the person 100 feet away can not be heard. A broadband jammer is a quite simple device.
A De-Authentication attack is an smart device that to keep this simple, impersonates the WiFi client and sends a command to the WiFi access point telling it that the client is disconnecting. Note that WPA-3 prevents that by encrypting the management packets. However although the WPA-3 standard has been out for quite a few years, most IoT devices do not support it.
Both of these attacks happen between the WiFi client and access point, so a firewall or anti-virus never get involved.
The conversation is about wifi jamming and devices that are dependent on wifi for data transfer.
The wifi jamming they are referring to does not disrupt cellular or sensor RF signals.
The vulnerability of wifi-based cameras and wifi communication for dual path signaling is worth noting. Some third-party security systems rely solely on wifi, and they occasionally use the term security system interchangeably with a single doorbell camera.
In the event of an extended wifi disconnection, it would be recognized as a dual path communication failure. The panel features RF jam detection for PowerG and legacy sensor frequencies, but does not include wifi jamming detection.
wifi jammer and cellular jammers serve the purpose of jamming distinct signals that need to be blocked.
They specialize in creating devices that combine the functionality of jamming cellular and wifi signals into one compact unit.
As time progresses, thieves are becoming more cunning and employing increasingly elaborate strategies to carry out their illicit activities.
Today's news bulletin showcased criminals breaking into a business located near jewelry stores, exploiting their susceptibility to break-ins. They were captured on camera using a sledgehammer to breach the drywall and gain access to the jewelry store.
The important thing to take away is that I am not trying to create excessive worry, but it is evident that thieves are going to greater lengths to break into properties.
It is my conviction that alarm companies must address this issue and continuously innovate to remain ahead of the changing dynamics.
An advisory was issued by the Glendale Police Department on Tuesday in response to the increase in residential burglaries that have been reported in Glendale and various locations across Southern California in recent months.
The utilization of technology by suspects, including Wi-Fi signal blockers or "jammers," has been highlighted by the GPD as a method to commit these crimes while evading detection from home security alarms and cameras.
Emitting signals that are undetectable by the human ear, these devices effectively disrupt Wi-Fi signals and security systems, resulting in disconnection from the network and the deactivation of alarm systems. A portable signal jammers, which can be held in hand and has a radius of interference of 15 meters, exemplifies such a device.
GPD has expressed that this technology has the capability to disrupt the signals emitted by home Wi-Fi systems, resulting in the interruption of traditional home security systems and cameras. This interruption renders these security measures ineffective in notifying homeowners or law enforcement about the presence of intruders. The incidents associated with this technology have generated noteworthy concerns regarding the safety and security of our community.
GPD's recent report highlights a consistent decrease in burglaries over the past few months. In December and January, there were 19 incidents each, which decreased to 18 in February. As of Wednesday this week, there have been eight burglaries reported in March.