Engineer-written guides
The Theft Prevention Academy
Most online advice on vehicle security is either recycled manufacturer copy or marketing dressed up as guidance. This Academy is different: every article is written by the engineer who fits the counter-measures.
Start here
If you read nothing else on this Academy, read these four truths about modern UK vehicle theft.
Your factory key is not secure
Relay devices amplify the key signal through walls; OBD coders programme a new key in under two minutes. Both tools are cheap, widely available, and used daily.
Your tracker doesn't stop theft
A tracker helps recover the vehicle after a theft. It does not stop the vehicle being stolen in the first place.
Ghost II is the most reliable UK counter-measure
A CAN-bus immobiliser (Ghost II) is the most reliable UK counter-measure to relay and OBD attacks on keyless vehicles.
Most insurers now require a Thatcham tracker
Many insurers require an S5 tracker on keyless or high-value vehicles, and also recognise Ghost II as an additional positive-risk factor.
Attack method explainers
How the attacks work — honestly, technically, without drama.
Port-of-Export Theft
Why stolen UK vehicles reach Hull, Immingham and Felixstowe within hours.
Plant & Tractor Theft
The organised theft profile of John Deere tractors and JCB plant across Yorkshire.
Practical checklists
Quick, printable, no-fluff guides to protecting your vehicle.
Trades Van Overnight Checklist
Transit / Sprinter / Transporter overnight security — deadlocks, cages, cameras.
What actually stops these attacks
If we compressed everything in the Academy into one paragraph: a modern keyless vehicle needs a CAN-bus immobiliser (Autowatch Ghost II) to prevent the theft, a Thatcham S5 tracker to recover if prevention fails, and a dash cam with parking mode to provide evidence either way.
Factory security alone is not enough. Stickers, discs and steering locks are a deterrent against the opportunist — not the organised crew doing your postcode tonight.
About the author
Oli Barrett
Lead Engineer, OJB Autocare
All articles in the Academy are written and reviewed by Oli Barrett, TASSA-member installer, Thatcham-standard certified, based in Yorkshire.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Academy?
<strong>Oli Barrett</strong> — named engineer, TASSA-member, manufacturer-trained. Every article is from direct install experience, not ChatGPT-ed filler.
Do you sell what the Academy recommends?
Yes — we're installers, and we're transparent about it. Where a free or lower-cost measure works as well as a paid one, we say so.
Is the Academy biased toward your products?
The Academy recommends whichever measure the engineering evidence supports. That often leads to Ghost II + S5 for good reason — but we're equally clear where a steering lock, geofence setting or yard light is the right answer.