Here’s Another Reminder To Never Keep Your Electronics In Your Cars

Leaving your electronics such as your tablets, phones, or laptops in the car is a bad idea simply because it makes it tempting for thieves to break into your vehicle to steal it. Sure, some of you think that maybe hiding it in the trunk or covering it or shoving it under the seat might make it harder, and in some cases that might be true.

However in a recent story on WIRED, it seems that it isn’t as effective as you might think. This is due to how some security researchers have suggested that a cheap Bluetooth scanning device can pick up on how your car might have valuable items worth stealing. WIRED has even confirmed with law enforcement officials that there are some burglars who do rely on Bluetooth scanners to help them determine which cars to break into.

The dangerous thing is that these Bluetooth scanners aren’t particularly expensive, and in some cases, might even be available as a free app. They don’t even need any technical knowledge to be used, and in some instances, the scanner can even tell them what kind of devices are available.

That being said, if you absolutely have to leave your laptop in the car, the best thing to do is make sure that it is completely powered off. According to Jake Williams, founder of the security firm Rendition Infosec, this is because some laptops might keep Bluetooth powered on even in sleep mode. “A lot of that has to do with power savings; it depends on what sleep mode different laptops go into when the lid is closed.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Computers
Tags: Laptops, Security