Burner devices should only be enabled for connectivity at the intended public destination. Take care to disable the computer's native Wi-Fi functionality in the BIOS settings if pursuing this option - the computer's characteristics will have likely been logged if it was ever used from an untrusted hotspot. One immediate workaround for the Wi-Fi card profiling threat is to buy new 'burner' Wi-Fi USB sticks from different manufacturers. VM users: The host operating system most likely automatically connects via updates, perhaps time sync, and other avenues.USB Wi-FI Device: Automatic connections might also occur, depending on the configuration.Physical Isolation: Whonix-Gateway ™ automatically connects to Tor after start.It is futile to prepare a spoofed MAC address if the computer instantly connects to the public network after booting, disclosing the user's real MAC address in the process: Unfortunately, a viable solution requires manufacturers to modify drivers or firmware of their hardware products to add privacy preserving mitigations.Īpart from the difficulty in creating an appropriate MAC address for spoofing purposes, there are also technical hurdles to overcome in the form of preventing automatic network connections. Warning: According to recent research, MAC address spoofing is not effective against advanced tracking techniques that can still enumerate the address by inspecting the physical characteristics of the Wi-Fi card. If users intend to use an untrusted, public network then MAC spoofing should be considered. However, other computers on the local network can potentially log it, which would then provide proof the user's computer connected to that specific network. The MAC address is normally not traceable because it is not passively sent to computers beyond the local router. MAC addresses are stored in hardware and are used to assign an address to computers on the local network. 4.3 Using Personal Computers in a Public NetworkĪll network cards, both wired and wireless, have a unique identifier called a MAC address.3.1 Authentication Fingerprinting Techniques.

Why change network mac address