Alarm hacking through jamming: how can you effectively protect your home?
It is the new nightmare for homeowners and the preferred method of experienced burglars: radio-wave jamming.
Today, criminals use discreet electronic devices called jammers, which remotely neutralize security systems, as well as Wi-Fi and even telephone communications.
Faced with this growing technological threat, traditional security systems are showing their limitations.
How does wireless alarm jamming work?
The vast majority of home alarms and consumer cameras installed in private homes operate wirelessly.
They communicate with each other and with your smartphone via radio frequencies: GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi networks, or the specific frequencies used by 433 and 868 MHz alarm systems.
To neutralize this equipment, burglars no longer need to cut any wires. They simply activate a radio-wave jammer near your home.
This device saturates the area with interference signals on the same frequencies. Result: Your detectors can no longer send a signal to the control panel. Your alarm control panel can no longer alert you on your phone.
Your surveillance cameras disconnect and stop recording.
Within a few seconds, your house or apartment becomes completely vulnerable, even though your alarm appeared to be operating normally before the attack.
The jammer: an investment that quickly pays off for burglars
For only €300, it is possible to purchase a highly comprehensive jammer covering a wide range of frequencies within a 25-meter radius:
- Lojack: 165-174MHz
- GPS L2-L5: 1170-1230MHz
- DCS/PCS: 1805-1990MHz
- RF 433: 433 MHz
- GPS L1: 1570-1580MHZ
- WIFI 2.4G: 2400-2500MHz
- 3G: 2110-2170MHz
- CDMA/GSM: 850~960MHz
- 4G LTE:738-821MHz
- RF 868: 868MHz
- RF 315: 315MHz
- 4G WIMAX:2620-2690MHz
- WIFI 5.2G/5.8G: 5125-5850 MHz
- WIFI 6E: 5925-6450MHz
- 5G LTE1: 3300-3600MHz
- GPS L3-L4: 1370-1390 MHz
- 5G LTE2:3600-3800MHz
- UHF: 400-470MHz
This type of portable jammer therefore provides more than enough coverage to paralyze all your wireless systems, including telephone communications and 3G, 4G, and 5G internet access. An investment that pays for itself in a single burglary!
Euro Security Protect's solution against jamming
Since it is not physically possible to neutralize jamming, we provide you with 2 devices that will solve the problem.
The jamming detector
In the event of jamming, the detector will immediately activate a relay which, in standalone mode, can operate a siren, a fog generator, a strobe light, a loudspeaker, and more. In short, any device that can be controlled by a dry contact.
Combined with our ESP-RJ45 unit, the pair offers additional features for maximum security.
The wired ESP-RJ45 security unit to counter wireless attacks
This device connects directly to your internet box via a wired connection, using a standard RJ45 cable.
It has 2 dry-contact inputs that can be activated by the jamming detector, a wired detector (door or window opening), a wired motion detector, or potentially an alarm control panel if it is equipped with a relay output.
When the ESP-RJ45 receives a signal from one of these devices, it will alert you directly on your phone through the Tuya Smart or Smart Life application.
Since the connection between the ESP-RJ45 and the internet box is wired rather than wireless, you will actually be alerted even if a jammer is active.
You can then check your wired cameras equipped with an RJ45 cable to see whether a break-in is actually taking place at your property.
If this is the case, you can control one or both outputs of the ESP-RJ45 module to trigger the fog generator, siren, 125 dB loudspeaker with customizable mp3 files, or strobe light directly from the application on your Android or iPhone.
Towards absolute protection...
The highly effective system consisting of the jamming detector combined with the ESP-RJ45 module protects you against wireless jamming attacks.
There are still 2 techniques that burglars can use to neutralize the security of your property:
Power being cut at the outdoor EDF meter
If your home contains valuable items, experienced burglars will not hesitate to cut off the power directly at the outdoor meter of your house, or in the shared cabinets of the building where your apartment is located.
The solution to this problem is very simple: equip yourself with a plug-and-play battery or a UPS, to which all your security devices will be connected. The internet box, the jamming detector, the EST-RJ45 module, the fog generator, the siren, the wireless detectors, and possibly your alarm control panel.
Physical fiber-optic cable cuts
Although very rare, this is a technique used by criminals when your house, apartment, or commercial premises are considered worth targeting.
Fiber-optic cable routes unfortunately remain too accessible, for example through underground access hatches near homes or by cutting the cable directly at the neighborhood fiber cabinet.
If you are an ordinary private individual, there is no need to worry about this type of attack.
However, if you want to protect premises containing valuable items, you will need to consider this issue.
The solution to this type of attack is to use the Starlink network (satellite internet).
The Starlink constellation mainly uses the Ku, Ka, V, and E bands, covering a spectrum ranging from 10.7 GHz to 86 GHz to provide internet connectivity between its satellites, user terminals, and ground stations (gateways).
To block Starlink, a jammer must saturate the receiver by transmitting a stronger signal than the original signal on the same frequencies.
Blocking Starlink is not that simple in practice, because SpaceX designed its terminals to withstand electronic warfare: Electronically steered antennas (Phased Array): The Starlink dish does not broadcast blindly. It forms an ultra-directional beam (a “pencil” of radio waves) pointed toward a moving satellite.
To jam it effectively, the malicious transmitter often needs to be placed directly in the antenna's line of sight.
Frequency Hopping: The system constantly changes channels within the Ku band to bypass fixed interference.
Rapid software updates: SpaceX has already deployed software patches within a few hours to protect its terminals against certain tactical jamming attacks.
To block Starlink, the required equipment is too substantial: To jam Starlink's satellite signal, a burglar would need highly specialized, very expensive, bulky, and power-hungry military or industrial equipment.
This is not equipment used for residential or even commercial burglaries.
Of course, you should not use the Wi-Fi connection between the Starlink router and your devices.
You need to set up a Dual-WAN router with a “Failover” option (automatic switching).
Operation: Your main router receives both the fiber connection (WAN 1) and Starlink (WAN 2 via the Starlink Ethernet adapter). The router uses the fiber connection 100% of the time. If the fiber connection is cut, the router automatically switches to Starlink in less than 2 seconds.
Recommended equipment: Professional routers such as a Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway, a MikroTik router, or a router running pfSense / OPNsense can manage this perfectly.