Apr 22, 2017 · 81,085 recorded views
This investigation came from a customer who's van had been parked beneath his bedroom window. The van was locked and the alarm was armed, yet thieves attacked the driver’s door and emptied the load area without the owner hearing the alarm.
I tested the alarm first rather than assuming it was faulty. Opening the bonnet triggered it, proving the alarm worked. The real problem was the vehicle’s security logic: operation of the driver’s door barrel could disarm the alarm and, on some vehicles, unlock the load area.
This became a recurring principle in my work: I do not only look at locks, alarms and central locking as unrelated products. I test how the whole system behaves together. A component can be physically intact but still create a serious vulnerability because of the authority the vehicle gives it.
This became a recurring principle in my work: do not look at locks, alarms and central locking as unrelated products.
WOW! This Ford Custom alarm disarmed from the driver's door barrel. Please help us to SHARE this with every FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM owner so that they can check their alarm before it's too late for them as this Ford Custom owner lost his tools from his van; while it was parked under his bedroom window as he slept at night.
Please check your van alarm and email sales@sussexinstallations.co.uk to let us know your make, model, year and body type (i.e. crew cab, minibus, standard van). Then we will be able to get an idea of how big this problem is or if it is just a one off?
Find out more about the products that we offer at https://www.sussexinstallations.co.uk
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Note: Our electrical modification functionality may vary depending on what body control module is fitted to your van and which version software has been programmed by Ford. Whilst we take great care in selecting products and techniques that we believe are effective to increase your van's security, we can never guarantee that any van is safe from a break in, please see our website for full terms and conditions.
Jeff Scott from Sussex Installations demonstrates a critical vulnerability where attacking the driver's door barrel disarms the factory alarm on a Ford Transit Custom. The video shows how to test if a van is susceptible and showcases a high-position deadlock and electronic modifications to prevent theft.
Historical context: This video records the advice, products and attack methods relevant when it was published. Current recommendations may have changed as vehicles, products and criminal methods evolved.
He locked and double-locked the van, waited over a minute for the alarm to arm, then opened the bonnet — which set the alarm off, proving it worked — but unlocking via the driver's door barrel with the key disarmed the alarm completely without it ever sounding.
A customer's Ford Custom, parked directly under his bedroom window overnight, was broken into via the driver's door barrel and emptied of tools — and the alarm never made a sound while he slept.
He replaced the driver's door barrel with a slip-ring security barrel that spins independently if gripped, added an electronic modification so the alarm no longer disarms from that barrel, and fitted a high-position hook deadlock on the back door for an extra independent mechanical layer.
Transcript source: the YouTube transcript supplied for this project with minor corrections. Automated transcripts can contain recognition errors and should be checked against the original video.
