For Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi, does Windows have the capability for...
- MAC randomization *when scanning*
- MAC randomization *per access point*
- MAC randomization *per connection*
- Did I miss any critical timer periods?
BACKGROUND:
The motherships (Apple & Google & Samsung at least) are starting to be aware of the privacy flaws inherent in having a permanent MAC address.
So they're sloooooooooowly providing, release by release, the inherent capability to randomize your MAC address during those three tasks.
This article back in 2014, shows the danger of NOT randomizing Wi-Fi: "When scanning for wireless networks, client devices like the iPhone periodically broadcast identifying packets that include the MAC address. In recent years, a number of firms have taken advantage of these broadcasts to track individual devices as they move around - for example, some retail outlets use MAC address-based tracking to record the path that consumers take as they move through the store, allowing long-term measurement of shopping habits and better placement of sale materials and advertising."
And, this line in that same article shows the dangers with Bluetooth: "The city of Houston's TranStar traffic monitoring system, for instance, uses the MAC addresses from Bluetooth devices to measure traffic flow on city streets."
The question I'm asking for this Windows newsgroup is whether Microsoft has added this capability to randomize the Bluetooth & Wi-Fi MAC during 3 times a. When scanning b. When connecting (per access point) c. When connecting (per connection)
An example of these types of settings on other platforms might be this:
Although it has implications for your home router LAN setup for static IPs.