The Flipper Zero is being accused of encouraging auto thefts, which has led some Canadians to call for its outlawing.

 

The Canadian government is taking heat for its decision to ban the Flipper Zero, a multi-purpose device used for various tasks including security testing. The ban stemmed from accusations that the Flipper was being used by criminals to steal cars through signal interception and copying.

However, cybersecurity experts strongly disagree with this claim. They argue that the government fundamentally misunderstands the Flipper's capabilities and limitations. These experts believe that the government, desperate to find a culprit for the recent surge in car thefts, has unfairly targeted the Flipper as an easy scapegoat.

The core issue lies in how the Flipper actually works. While it can scan frequencies and record signals for later replay, this replay functionality only works once due to the rolling codes implemented by car manufacturers for decades. As such, the Flipper is ineffective against modern cars.

Experts further highlight that more sophisticated methods, like plugging a device directly into the car or employing a relay attack, are far more likely tools used by actual car thieves. The Flipper simply doesn't have the hardware capabilities to achieve these feats.

The cybersecurity community has spoken out against the ban, calling it futile and misguided. They point out that criminalizing a device with legitimate uses, even if misused by some, sets a dangerous precedent. They argue that instead of blaming tools, resources should be directed towards addressing the true security vulnerabilities in car fob implementations.

In conclusion, the Canadian government's ban on the Flipper Zero has attracted significant criticism from cybersecurity experts. They believe the government is misguided in its approach and that the ban will have little to no impact on actual car theft. Instead, they urge the government to focus on addressing the underlying security flaws in car systems themselves.