Ghost immobiliser Northumberland, relay protection and CAN bus security

Vehicle owners in Northumberland face relay theft risk that requires a physical relay break independent of the CAN bus. LockCar provides hardwired relay immobiliser fitting across NE postcodes, Alnwick, Morpeth, Hexham, Berwick, as a standalone solution or to complement an existing or new Autowatch Ghost installation.

Vehicle theft risk in Northumberland

Northumberland is the most northerly county in England, with a low population density and limited ANPR coverage outside the A1 and A69 corridor. Vehicle theft in Northumberland is linked to organised gangs operating from the Tyne and Wear conurbation, who travel into rural Northumberland to target high-value vehicles on rural driveways. The relative isolation of many Northumberland properties means theft may not be discovered until the following morning.

Relay attack theft follows the same method across every UK region: criminals extend the key fob signal from inside the property to the vehicle on the driveway in under 60 seconds. The factory immobiliser is satisfied by the relayed signal exactly as it would be by a legitimate key. LockCar adds a physical relay break downstream of the entire CAN bus that remains open until a separate encrypted authentication is provided.

Ghost immobiliser versus LockCar in Northumberland

The Autowatch Ghost uses the vehicle CAN bus to require a PIN sequence before engine start. It is an effective countermeasure against basic relay attacks. LockCar’s hardwired relay break operates outside the CAN bus entirely, providing protection against both relay attacks and CAN bus injection attacks that target the control channel.

For vehicles in higher-risk categories, fitting both a Ghost and a LockCar relay immobiliser provides the strongest available protection. Ghost stops relay attacks at the CAN bus level. LockCar stops any attack that manages to overcome or bypass the CAN bus layer. The two systems are complementary and can be installed at the same appointment.

LockCar installation does not interfere with an existing or new Ghost installation. Both systems operate independently. Full insurance documentation is provided with every LockCar installation.

LockCar coverage across Northumberland

LockCar engineers cover all Northumberland postcode areas including NE postcodes in the south of the county, as well as Alnwick, Morpeth, Hexham, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all surrounding rural areas. Same-day appointments are available across the county.

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