Hackers have learned to track police officers via Bluetooth

Hackers can use Bluetooth-equipped gadgets to spy on their owners. This was reported by Engadget.

According to Alan Meekins, the creator of the Bluetooth RFParty platform, the Bluetooth standard is used in most gadgets, which gives attackers the opportunity to track their owners. Among other things, Meekins noted that police officers use similar devices, and hackers have already learned to track them.

The specialist said that every Bluetooth-equipped device has a MAC address – a unique 64-bit identifier. Thus, MAC addresses are assigned to laptops, chest cameras and other devices used by police. Attackers can intercept Bluetooth signals, which will thus reveal the owner’s location.

Alan Minkins noted that many police officers use smart guns that also work via Bluetooth. As an example, he cited a smart holster that connects to a weapon via a wireless protocol. The specialist concluded that in the interests of security, devices should have a dynamic MAC address, which makes it more difficult to track gadget users.

In early October, security experts suspected robotic couriers working in Los Angeles were being spied on. Experts have found evidence that machines are constantly recording video, and robot operators can share data with third parties.