Skip to main content

Should we be wary of bluetooth?

Bluetooth is an excellent way of connecting our tech. Headphones, fitbits, laptops and phones all often depend on bluetooth in order to connect to each other wirelessly. But is there something within that technology to be wary of? We’ve been finding out about how bluetooth could be advertising your tech to thieves.

Few of us would ever leave a laptop or phone in full view in our cars, but there’s evidence to suggest that we could be doing just that when we don’t turn off bluetooth. Wired reported multiple accounts from individuals who felt that their cars were targeted because of their tech, despite it being physically hidden. Obviously, there are a number of possible explanations for this, but a fair few people seem to believe that bluetooth had something to do with the theft. 

How can thieves use bluetooth to locate devices?

In theory, thieves can locate devices using bluetooth the exact same way the rest of us do - when we lose a bluetooth device, you can download a bluetooth scanning app. We found a ton of different articles and videos online showing us how to do it, so we decided to put it to the test in our office. 

There were a number of different applications available on iOS (and we presume a similar number, if not more on Android), but we went for the one with the most reviews, Wunderfind. We immediately found two devices and the app also gave us information on how far we were away from them (20ft and 52ft respectively). The app also encouraged us to ‘move around to discover more nearby devices’. 

On selecting one of the devices, we were given the option to pair with it; or we could just wander around so that the signal strength increased, which is exactly what we did. The app gave us a precise signal strength percentage as we walked round the office, until we eventually located Kai’s headphones. 

It should be noted that there’s no evidence to suggest that thieves were using bluetooth scanners to locate devices left inside vehicles - it’s almost impossible to tell whether someone had a clever little app to do the hard work for them, or just noticed the victim stowing a device under the seat or in the boot and saw an opportunity.

How can I protect myself?

Primarily, we’d recommend that nobody leave their valuable tech in a car, but we appreciate that’s not always possible. When you are leaving your laptops or devices in a vehicle, we’d encourage you to turn off bluetooth from those devices, and also shut the device down rather than send it to sleep. That way, you can be sure that your device isn’t sending any signals to opportunistic criminals nearby.

Tweet us @TranscenditUK


The Transcendit Way

Transcendit understand that when you choose to work with us, whether we're taking care of your IT, app or web development, you're trusting us with part of your business. So whether we're looking after your computers, phone systems or servers we always do things 'the Transcendit way'.

The whole of our team adhere to the same values, beliefs and policies - the principles that were written when Transcendit first formed in 2000. Whether you come to us for cloud services or recovery backup you can be confident that you'll always receive the same excellent service.

The Transcendit way outlines how we do business; following the same straightforward principles with every client and customer, regardless of how big or small they may be.

That means we get to know you and your business. We offer you a friendly, professional and efficient service, and we'll always be honest with you.
We understand that not everybody speaks fluent IT, so we try to explain things in a way that is simple and clear. We always spend as much time as is necessary explaining things to you.
If you need to talk to us about something, no matter how insignificant, we are only ever a phone call away – and we’re never too busy to make you a cup of tea and have a sit down with you in person.
We understand how frustrating it can be when things are late. When we schedule an appointment with you, we are there when you’re expecting us. If something prevents us from getting there, we always call you in advance to let you know.
Sometimes things can go wrong, but we never lie to you or try to cover something up. If things go askew we tell you what’s happened and how we plan to prevent it affecting your business.
We want you to continuously benefit from working with us. We regularly discuss your business and make suggestions for improving systems and processes wherever we can – but we never try to push you into a purchase.
When we quote a fixed price, that's always the amount we charge – you won’t find any nasty surprises on a bill from us. If you are paying by time and materials, we inform you if our approximations could change.
We understand the importance of privacy for your business and your customers. We respect the confidentiality of your data, and we will never pass on your information to third parties.
We appreciate it when you take the time to give us feedback. A system called CustomerSure records our client's responses, so you can trust that our reviews are from real people.
Find out what they're saying here.
Everything explained very well. Great service, thank you. Susan Hunt, York Minster

Based on 12075 reviews our customers rate us 9.8/10. Reviews and ratings by Customersure. 09-October-2024

Transcendit are proud sponsors of CHUF, the Children's Heart Unit Fund.

Transcendit is a Microsoft Gold certified partner
VMWARE partner
Vipre partner
IPCortex partner
WithSecure partner
DELL partner
Barracuda partner
Veeam partner
N-Able partner