Experts say you should stop using Bluetooth after discovering 'dangerous' risks
Bluetooth is part of our daily lives, but is there anything we should be wary of?
We'd be lost without Bluetooth - particularly as nowadays most of us religiously use it with our wireless headphones, fitness accessories and more.
ICYMI, Bluetooth is short-range Wi-Fi technology that let's devices 'pair' with each other and share information - and some experts are issuing warnings about its dangers.
You don't need to panic - this isn't anything to do with health scares or myths about its invisible waves somehow causing disease. Rather, it's all about security.
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Whether it's by people spoofing your details or actively hacking your connection, experts suggest attackers might be able to hijack some devices and start misusing them.
This was demonstrated at the hacker convention DEF CON in 2019 by Matt Wixey, cybersecurity research lead at the technology consulting firm PWC UK.
He showed how vulnerable Bluetooth-connected devices with speakers could be hijacked and turned into low-grade cyber-weapons by being forced to make deafening and disorienting sounds.
Some experts warn against using Bluetooth to share sensitive information that you wouldn't want in the hands of bad actors.
"When it comes to sharing potentially sensitive data with someone else, Bluetooth isn’t the best technology that truly guarantees a safe and secure exchange," Jovi Umawing, a researcher with Malwarebytes Labs told USA Today back in 2019.
"You’re better off using other more secure methods of sharing data."
The good news (and there's actually plenty of that) is that you're no short of alternative options for sending things securely.
Nowadays, so many services now have built-in encryption to let you send files, photos and messages without worrying about theft, including giants like WhatsApp.
But some researchers are quite keen to avoid turning everyone into a tin-hat scaredy-cat, and have spoken out to confirm that while people should be aware of Bluetooth's potential risks, that doesn't mean they should stop using it altogether.
If you're particularly worried, by all means turn it off, but Matt Lourens, a security engineering manager at cybersecurity firm Check Point Software, told USA Today: "If you really want to be safe, turn off the internet, stop using your cell phone, don't drive anymore....you get what I'm saying? You will always have a level of risk. Just be aware of it and change your behavior."
And of course - if you're listening to your headphones in the comfort of your own home, you don't have too much to worry about, as Bluetooth only works when you're close to other devices.
Bluetooth has been approached for comment.