How to Stop Your Garage Door Opener From Being Hacked

In Wisconsin, two 16-year-old boys were recently arrested for stealing a car, crashing it, and then stealing a second a vehicle after the crash. The boys had gained access to the cars by hacking an electronic garage door opener and then burglarizing the garage. Finding the keys inside of the cars, they took the cars and went for a joy ride before police apprehended them. During the summer, garage burglaries increase, and one of the ways thieves gain access to a garage is through hacking electronic garage door openers. To secure your garage and the belongings inside, follow these simple tips to avoid the possibility of your car being taken out for a joy ride by a thief:

1. Reset Your Garage Door Opener Code

A simple way to hack a garage door opener is to guess the passcode used on an external keypad. Most garage door openers initially use a generic passcode that needs to be reset once installed. Surprisingly, many homeowners do not set up this passcode, making their garage and home open to theft. Thieves only need to memorize a few generic codes, and this can allow them to gain access to a large number of garages. If you have not yet reset your passcode, you should do that now, using a code which you and your family are familiar with.

2. Install a Smart Garage Door Opener

Many garage door manufacturers are designing IoT (Internet of Things) garage door openers that connect to a person’s smartphone. These devices are much more difficult to hack than traditional garage door openers, which operate on commonly used radio-frequencies. New garage door technology makes it harder for thieves to get into your garage, and it can also provide you with a great deal of convenience.

3. Use a Lock on Your Garage Door

While new technology is nice, older solutions can sometimes provide an extra bit of security. These methods could include installing a garage door which is sturdy and robust, as well as manually installing a deadlock on your garage door to use at night or while you are away on vacation.

Contact a DuPage County Garage Door Expert

Do you want to make your garage more secure? Are you unsure about whether your garage door meets the latest security standards? The Downers Grove custom garage professionals at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can help you address security concerns and modernize your garage to ensure that you, your family, and your home and valuables are safe from intruders. Please contact our offices at 630-852-8485.