High-tech thieves are using laptops to steal cars. It was only a matter of time before thieves got smart to the whole "keyless entry" thing and found a way around it.

The expert gang suspected of stealing two of David Beckham's BMW X5 SUVs in the last six months did so by using software programs on a laptop to wirelessly break into the car's computer, open the doors, and start the engine.  "It's difficult to steal cars with complex security, but not impossible. There are weaknesses in any system," Tim Hart of the Auto Locksmith Association told the U.K.'s Auto Express magazine. "At key steps the car's software can halt progress for up to 20 minutes as part of its in-built protection," said Hart.

Because the decryption process can take a while - up to 20 minutes, according to Hart - the thieves usually wait to find the car in a secluded area where it will be left for a long period. That is believed to be what happened to Mr. Beckham - the crooks followed him to the mall where he was to have lunch, and went to work on his X5 after it was parked. While automakers and locksmiths are supposed to be the only groups that know where and how security information is stored in a car, the information eventually falls into the wrong hands.