What you should know about hackable home security systems

CTV News Vancouver Consumer Reporter
Updated Feb. 22, 2022 8:24 p.m. PST
Published Feb. 22, 2022 5:19 p.m. PST

VANCOUVER -

Millions of us rely on home security systems for protection. But what if those security systems themselves are not so secure when it comes to attacks from hackers? Consumer Reports found that some of them can be disabled in a matter of seconds with a process called “jamming,” potentially putting you and your family at risk.

Jamming is when a burglar or hacker blocks the wireless signal of a door sensor, window sensor or motion sensor in a security system. That allows them to access your home without actually triggering the alarm.

In its latest tests, Consumer Reports found five home security systems susceptible to these types of attacks: Adobe Iota, Cove Home Security, Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit, Ring Alarm, and SimpliSafe the Essentials. Abode and SimpliSafe can detect jamming and will alert the homeowner that happens, but the alarms won’t trigger. The other systems offer no user alerts

Consumer Reports shared its findings with all of the security companies. Eufy was the only manufacturer that explicitly said it would fix the jamming risk in a future update. Cove said it “plans to add jam detection to its system next year, but likely as an optional feature.”

Consumer Reports says the good news is that jamming attacks are very rare, and security systems and other low-tech security solutions will often deter burglars.

If you own one of these systems, don’t feel the need to run out and replace it. Both the Ring and SimpliSafe systems perform well in other tests, including motion detection and ease of use and setup. Or consider a Kangaroo Front Door Security Kit, which wasn’t susceptible to CR’s jamming attacks.

If you want to beef up your home security system, consider adding some security cameras to the mix. They can record what’s happening and are not easily jammed.

No matter which alarm system you have, CR has one simple tip: Don’t use the branded yard signs or decals that came with it, because that could alert a hacker to your specific type of system. Instead, use generic signs and decals.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/what-you-should-know-about-hackable-home-security-systems-1.5791983

Surrey marks first homicide of 2020 as man killed on North Delta border

BY SIMON LITTLE GLOBAL NEWS
Posted January 2, 2020 7:29 am
Updated January 2, 2020 11:33 am

Click here to watch video - One man is dead following an overnight homicide in Newton. Nadia Stewart reports.

Surrey has recorded its first homicide of 2020.

Surrey RCMP say officers were called to 120th Street near 75A avenue around 12:50 a.m. on Thursday to reports of an assault in progress.

Officers arrived to find a man dead at the scene. Police say he did not have any known ties to gangs or drug trafficking.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says several people witnessed the fight, and that one of them followed the suspect from a distance as he fled the scene.

Police say they located a 33-year-old man nearby, who was arrested and remains in police custody.

Investigators also seized a weapon that was potentially used in the attack.

Investigators were holding a second scene Thursday morning, where a black backpack and hunting-style knife could be seen behind police tape.

“One of the witnesses did a good job of keeping an eye on the suspect from a safe distance after he fled the scene, and was able to direct police to his whereabouts,” Const. Harrison Mohr said in a media release.

“Surrey RCMP officers responded quickly and arrested the suspect minutes after the altercation, and also located a possible weapon involved in the murder.”

Investigators have not identified the victim, and are still working to determine if anyone else was involved in the incident, or if the two parties knew each other.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Surrey RCMP or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.

Snowfall, wind warnings issued for parts of central B.C

Up 25 cm of snow expected, while central and north coasts are in line for 90 km/h winds

CBC News · Posted: Dec 16, 2019 10:20 AM PT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Environment Canada issued winter storm warnings for parts of B.C. on Dec. 12, 2019. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

A hefty dump of snow is on the way for parts of B.C.'s central Interior, while winds reaching 90 km/h are expected for the province's central and north coast, Environment Canada says.

Inland areas of the north coast will see the heaviest snow beginning Monday morning — with the area around Stewart in line for up to 25 centimetres by early Tuesday — while freezing rain is also expected in Kitimat and toward the Terrace area.

Environment Canada is warning of hazardous driving conditions in those areas.

Up to 20 centimetres of snowfall is also expected for the central Interior, including Prince George, beginning Monday morning and ending Tuesday morning.

The warm front and associated low-pressure system bringing the snow is also set to batter the coast and Haida Gwaii with strong winds starting Monday evening, Environment Canada says.

"Winds will rise this evening as the warm front nears and then reach 90 km/h late this evening ahead of the low pressure centre," said a statement from Environment Canada.

The winds are expected to ease overnight.

This is the list of the top 10 stolen vehicles in Canada

BY ERICA ALINI GLOBAL NEWS

Posted December 3, 2019 2:01 am

Updated December 3, 2019 8:04 am

With key-less entry, GPS and mobile apps, vehicles are getting smarter and smarter — and auto thieves are keeping up, according to a new report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).

Sophisticated thieves are using technology to “bypass security systems,” IBC, which represents Canada’s private home, auto and business insurers, warned in a press release on Tuesday.

Auto theft these days is less and less about stealing keys and manual hot-wiring and increasingly about intercepting the signal between your vehicle and your entry fob, said IBC’s Vanessa Barrasa. As long that the two are in close proximity, thieves can capture the signal, she added.

That may explain why, despite ever more sophisticated technology, auto theft has held remarkably constant over the past few years. The IBC estimates thieves steal a vehicle every six minutes in Canada, something that collectively costs owners close to $1 billion every year, with insurers paying out around half that to fix or replace the stolen trucks, SUVs and cars.

As for the top 10 stolen vehicles in Canada, here’s the list from IBC:

1. Ford 350SD AWD 2007
2. Ford 350SD AWD 2006
3. Ford 350SD AWD 2005
4. Ford 350SD AWD 2004
5. Ford 250SD AWD 2006
6. Ford 350SD AWD 2003
7. Lexus RX350/RX350L/RX450h/RX450hL 4DR AWD 2018
8. Ford F250 SD 4WD 2005
9. Ford F350 SD 4AWD 2002
10. Honda Civic Si 2DR Coupe 1998

What’s so special about the Ford 350?

While the list is dominated by the popular Ford pickup truck, that’s hardly an indication that Ford 350 owners are more likely to suffer theft, Barrasa said. Rather, the data is a reflection of “what’s available” for thieves to steal.

The truck is very common in populous provinces like Alberta, which weighs heavily in the national data, she added.

Still, pick-up trucks in general, as well as some SUVs, are being shipped for resale overseas, which is part of a larger organized crime problem, Barrasa said.

Global News reported in 2018 that organized crime was behind a surge in Canadian vehicle thefts, with some provinces, such as Ontario, seeing double-digit increases in theft even as the national average remained roughly steady.

Organized auto theft rings are involved in international trade-based money laundering and raising money for drug-trafficking and terrorism, the IBC told Global News. Transnational gangs are even sending SUVs stolen in Canada to carry out terrorist bombings in the Middle East.

Still, owners of small, less expensive vehicles can’t rest easy either, as thieves also may target vehicles in order to steal parts or take them on a joyride, according to Barrasa.

“These are thieves: they’re picky, but they’re not too picky.”

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How to protect your vehicle

Some of the steps Canadians can take to reduce the risk of theft are just commonsense precautions. For example, leaving your vehicle running while unattended — even if it’s really cold outside, Barrasa said.

Always locking your doors and making sure the windows are closed is another simple step that can help you ensure your vehicle isn’t an easy target. Other deterrents include steering wheel or brake pedal locks and visible or audible devices that let thieves know the vehicle is protected.

But as auto thieves turn into something closer to hackers, there is more vehicle owners need to know. Thieves can use wireless transmitters to intercept the signal of your key-less entry fob if you leave it at the front entrance of your house, the IBC warned.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t keep storing your fob near your front door, Barrasa said. But instead of dropping in into a generic bowl along with your gloves, and spare change, put it in a metal box with a lid, she suggested.

Another way to protect yourself from electronic auto theft is to install an immobilizing device, which prevents thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring a vehicle. This includes devices that require wireless ignition authentication as well as starter, ignition and fuel pump disablers, according to IBC.

Some vehicles already come with this type of device installed, but if yours doesn’t, you can do your own research or contact your manufacturer or dealer, Barrasa said.

IBC also suggests installing a tracking device, if your vehicle isn’t already equipped with one. While this won’t thwart a theft, it may help authorities to retrieve your vehicle. The device sends a signal to a monitoring station or directly to police in case of auto theft.

Finally, Barrasa recommends storing personal information like insurance and ownership papers in your wallet rather than your glove compartments. That helps prevent a tech-savvy auto thief from also stealing your identity.

— With reporting from Sam Cooper, Global News

CONSUMER St. James community centre aiming to prevent porch piracy with new program

BY SAM THOMPSON GLOBAL NEWS

Posted December 2, 2019 1:08 pm

An Amazon packaged pictured on a porch in this undated file photo. . AP Photo/Robert Bumsted

Worried about porch pirates pilfering your Cyber Monday purchases?

With the increase in online shopping comes an increase in parcels stolen from people’s doorsteps, and one community centre in west Winnipeg is stepping into to help.

The Sturgeon Heights Community Centre is opening a “safe drop zone” to ease area shoppers’ minds when making online purchases.

“We have employees there from 8 a.m. to 8 at night, and we do have locked up areas of the club, so we’re hoping our community members take advantage of this service, and hopefully it works for them,” the club’s president, Linda Smiley, told 680 CJOB.

The way the drop zone works is that once your order is placed, you can send an email to Sturgeon Heights to let them know to expect a package.

READ MORE: Winnipeg business offering way to thwart ‘porch pirates’

When your package arrives, the club will email you back and ask for ID when you come to pick it up.

“I was always very hesitant to online shop,” said Smiley.

“You never know when the parcel’s going to come, so I never knew if someone was going to be at home, and I was always very hesitant to send a parcel to work.

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“We just kind of brainstormed a bit last week, and thought, let’s get this done for Cyber Monday and Black Friday.”

The community centre isn’t charging for the service, but they are asking for small donations with each parcel, with funds going toward the club’s winter carnival.

Sturgeon Heights isn’t the first organization in Winnipeg making an effort to thwart porch pirates.

Earlier this year, supplement store Main Street supplement retailer Gorilla Jack offered up his business as an alternative shipping location.

40-year-old man killed in 2-vehicle collision on Vancouver-Burnaby border

BY SEAN BOYNTON GLOBAL NEWS

Posted November 30, 2019 10:41 am

Fire crews at the scene of a fatal crash on the Vancouver-Burnaby border on Nov. 30, 2019. Global News

A 40-year-old man is dead after a two-vehicle collision on the Vancouver-Burnaby border early Saturday morning.

Vancouver police say the crash happened just after 6 a.m., on Boundary Road at Marine Drive.

One vehicle was driving south on Boundary Road when it went airborne and collided with another vehicle that was driving north, according to police.

Police and fire crews from both Vancouver and Burnaby attended the scene, where they found one driver deceased.

BC Emergency Health Services took the second driver to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Vancouver police have taken over the investigation. The cause has not been officially determined, but police say speed was likely a factor.

Police add the collision is Vancouver’s 13th motor vehicle fatality of 2019.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam video is asked to contact Vancouver police.

'Fake lawyers' with bogus degrees a problem across Canada

Christy SomosCTVNews.ca Writer @C_Somos Contact

Published Friday, November 29, 2019 9:13AM ESTLast Updated Friday, November 29, 2019 9:20AM EST

TORONTO -- There is a disturbing epidemic of “fake lawyers” scamming vulnerable Canadians out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, with eight caught in B.C. earlier this month alone.

Lawyer Tanya Walker says that the practice of obtaining fake degrees, law or otherwise, is “quite common” online and worth a billion dollars worldwide.

“The most vulnerable segment of the population [to fake lawyers] are baby boomers, aging people because they may not be in tune as much with technology as the younger generation,” Walker said on CTV’s Your Morning Friday.

Walker said that new immigrants or those wishing to move to Canada are also vulnerable, as there may be a language barrier and may not know how to verify a lawyer’s credentials.

Fake lawyers can do “a lot” of damage, Walker said, as “the judgment is not automatically overturned because you are represented by a fake lawyer, you have to demonstrate that there was a miscarriage of justice.”

If the victim of a fake lawyer is unable to prove a miscarriage of justice, the original judgment can still stand, she said.

Walker said that with real, regulated and licensed lawyers, clients with an issue can report them to the law society and pursue compensation up to $500,000 – or sue the lawyer and pursue a payout from their insurer. None of those options are available with a fake lawyer.

“All a judge does for you when you win is write that you have won [against a fake lawyer], it’s up to you to collect, so if the person does not have any assets… you are out of luck,” Walker said.

Walker said that if you are in need of a lawyer, always verify the lawyer’s credentials, try to visit their office, call the law society and double check their registration number and “be suspicious if they do not have any pictures on their website or it’s too good to be true.”

Lawyers are generally only allowed to accept “around $7,500 in cash” per file, Walker said, so anyone asking for exorbitant amounts like $50,000 should “send up a red flag.”

Emergency alert test: When to expect it in B.C., and what to do if you don't get it

Kendra MangioneCTVNewsVancouver.ca producer

Published Wednesday, November 27, 2019 8:35AM PST

VANCOUVER -- Six months after the last test, B.C. cellphones, TV stations and radio stations will issue emergency alert messages on Wednesday.

Testing of the emergency system will be conducted across Canada throughout the day. In B.C., the test is scheduled for 1:55 p.m.

The message sent in May read, "EMERGENCY ALERT" in bold, capital letters.

"This is a TEST of the British Columbia Emergency Alerting System, issued by Emergency Management British Columbia. This is ONLY a TEST. If this had been an actual emergency or threat, you would now hear instructions that would assist you to protect you and your family."

The pop-up directed those who got the message to visit the EmergencyInfoBC website for more information.

A message posted on the site this week said the Alert Ready system, which allows officials to issue public safety warnings, only works on smartphones connected to an LTE or 4G network.

Phones must be compatible with wireless public alerting, have up-to-date software and be within the emergency alert area.

The Alert Ready website has a feature that helps cellphone users check their phone's compatibility. Those who have a compatible device but don't get the alert Wednesday are asked to contact their service provider.

It is not known how many phones are actually getting the alerts, The Canadian Press reported in the spring.

The federal government said it can't measure how many were received, but that "the confirmation in each jurisdiction indicates it was successfully distributed."

The system has been under scrutiny, especially in June when a tornado tore through parts of Ottawa and no warnings were sent.

But the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says 125 real warnings have been issued through the system since January, and credits the alerts with saving lives.
 

Timing of alerts (in local time zone)

• Newfoundland and Labrador: 10:55 a.m.

• New Brunswick: 10:55 a.m.

• Prince Edward Island: 12:55 p.m.:

• Nova Scotia: 1:55 p.m.

• Quebec: 1:55 p.m.

• Ontario: 2:55 p.m.

• Northwest Territories: 9:55 a.m.

• Manitoba and Saskatchewan: 1:55 p.m.

• Alberta: 1:55 p.m.

• B.C. and Yukon: 1:55 p.m.

There is no test in Nunavut.

10 tips to avoid being scammed shopping online this holiday season

BY ANNE DREWA GLOBAL NEWS

Posted November 25, 2019 7:06 pm
Updated November 25, 2019 7:08 pm

Click here: WATCH: Consumer Matters: avoiding scams during the holiday shopping season

From identity theft to phishing scams, fraudsters are gearing up for the holiday season.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says 90 percent of consumers have engaged with a scam on social media and more than 50 percent of people fell for them.

The BBB says scammers love to create lookalike websites that, at first glance, appear to belong to a trusted retailer.

READ MORE: 4 scams to watch out for while holiday shopping online

It’s the reason why the BBB is urging consumers to think before they click.

“We are seeing online purchase scams, we are seeing fake websites, we are seeing identity theft and credit card theft and credit card details being compromised,” said Karla Davis from the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C.

Here are 10 of the BBB’s top tips to avoid being scammed while online shopping:

1. Shop with reputable and trustworthy retailers that provide an actual street address and phone number : If you cannot find a privacy or return policy, contact information, an address or customer service details, avoid shopping on that platform. If in doubt, contact the retailer directly.

2. Read customer reviews from several sources: Be wary of businesses you are not familiar with.

3. Beware of false advertising and phony websites: Watch out for false advertising and keep a close eye on the web address in your browser. Scammers love to create lookalike websites that, at first glance, appear to belong to a trusted retailer.

4. Understand return/exchange and privacy policies.

5. Beware of amazing deals that appear too good to be true and items which are considerably lower than market price.

6. Avoid using public WiFi when making purchases to safeguard your personal information.

7. Avoid emails and websites containing poor grammar and spelling mistakes.

8. Use your credit card: Be wary of businesses and individuals that request payment by wire transfer, prepaid debit or gift cards, cash only or through third parties.

9. Look out for fake shipping notices: Beware of emails stating there is an issue with your order and requests personal or financial information. If in doubt, go to the retailer’s website to track the status of your order.

10. Keep your antivirus software up to date.

You can find the BBB’s full list of tips here.