Is Bluetooth bad for dogs? What to Know

Are GPS Pet Trackers Safe to Use?

GPS pet trackers are designed to increase the security of pets. If a pet goes missing, youll be happy that youre using one. At the same time, they are not devices that should be used without doing research.

A 2018 report by Kaspersky Labs pointed out that many popular trackers have design flaws that could allow them to be controlled by somebody other than the pets owner. Its also possible that any private information installed on the app could be stolen.

While its not believed that anyone is currently attempting to hack pet trackers, it is a plausible threat. Cats and dogs, particularly those of designer breeds, are often stolen. And if a thief wanted to know what pet is easiest to steal, the ability to access their tracker would obviously be ideal for this purpose.

We believe that it is important for people to be aware of the potential effects of EMF radiation and choose their devices wisely, making sure they are FCC or CE compliant. However, it is also important to know that pet trackers are just as safe as all the other devices humans use on a daily basis. Thus, there is absolutely no reason why you should not make sure your faithful companion never gets lost or hurt by getting a reliable pet tracker.

Although there are no conclusive findings on how dangerous different levels of EMF radiation can be, scientists generally agree that this form of radiation can adversely affect biological tissue. That is why the Federal Communications Commission regulates radio frequency electromagnetic fields for human, thus limiting the level of EMF radiation different devices emit.

Pet trackers are designed to keep your furry friends safe, but ironically, it is often speculated that they are not perfectly safe for pets to use. Many pet guardians are afraid that these devices may actually harm their furry friends’ health due to the EMF radiation they emit. This is a serious matter that needs to be addressed and we are here to share some important facts on the potential effect pet trackers can have on your pet’s well-being.

Pet trackers constitute another common source of EMFs due to their use of communication technologies. However, the level of radiation they emit is no greater than that of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, the best pet trackers comply with the same regulations that apply to the devices humans use.

Why Are GPS Pet Trackers Vulnerable to Hacking?

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are designed primarily for portability and ease of use, rather than keeping hackers out, which makes their security questionable at best. GPS pet trackers appear to follow this trend.

The study by Kaspersky Lab included a range of popular GPS trackers that were chosen at random. Several major issues were found to be widespread.

  • Most GPS pet trackers use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) rather than standard Bluetooth. This is a security issue because BLE allows two devices to pair with each other without authentication. This allows anyone with a smartphone to pair with the GPS tracker and receive the pets coordinates. In other words, a cybercriminal wouldnt even need to hack the tracker; they could simply pair with it.
  • GPS pet trackers often send pet coordinates using a mobile network. In order to save energy, however, some trackers are designed to only do so when they are not paired with a smartphone. This is a notable design flaw because it means that if a hacker pairs with the tracker, the tracker would stop sending coordinates using the mobile network and this would hide the pets location.
  • Some GPS pet tracker apps dont verify the certificate of the servers that they connect to. They also store personal information such as usernames and passwords without encryption. This makes the apps vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks where a hacker can access the information as it is being sent to the server.
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