Bluetooth was developed in the 1990s by Ericsson as a wireless standard for connecting devices over short distances. While initially limited in range, Bluetooth has evolved to support a wide variety of uses from wireless audio to file sharing. However, this widespread adoption also makes Bluetooth a target for hackers. Common Bluetooth attacks include bluejacking to send spam messages, bluesmacking for denial-of-service attacks, and bluesnarfing to steal private data from paired devices. Users can help protect themselves by turning off Bluetooth when not in use, avoiding transferring sensitive data over Bluetooth, and keeping track of their devices in public spaces.

1. THE DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY
22 September
2021
www.dailytechnologynews.com
Bluetooth Attacks and Security Tips – Awareness Results in
Better Protection
The history of Bluetooth is quite recent – the 1990s, to be
exact. Ericsson, a Swedish multinational active in the
networking and telecommunications domain, developed
Bluetooth. The name ‘Bluetooth’ comes from a renowned
10th century Danish King, Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson,
responsible for uniting Norway and Denmark. The
Bluetooth logo is a combination of Harald’s initials.
Dr. Jaap Haarsten is the man credited with conceiving the
idea for Bluetooth, and while it was invented in 1994, the
first Bluetooth enabled consumer product was only
launched five years later in 1999. This a was a hands-free
mobile headset,and its launch was followed by the launch
of Bluetooth-enabled dongles and mice, with the first
Bluetooth-equipped mobile phone hitting the shelves in
2000.
The evolution in Bluetooth has been swift since it
came into being in the 1990s: at first limited in
reach, it has become an all-encompassing
standard that caters to multiple use cases.From
wireless music to file sharing, from device
pairing to household appliances and accessories,
the standard covers a gamut of uses.
Bluetooth can be a security risk
Any technology that has a massive and ever-
increasing market penetration will inevitably be
on the radar of hackers and cybercriminals. Their
focus is always on the number of peopleusing a
specific technology, it’s reach, and leverage. It’s
no surprisethen that there are plenty of security
risks associated with Bluetooth.
Bluetooth works by establishing a Wireless Personal Area
Network (WPAN) to connect Bluetooth enabled devices
with one another. Bluetooth-connected devices share data
with one another and you want this data to be safe and
secure. Moreover, you don’t want criminals to gain access
to your Bluetooth-enabled devices. There is a critical need
for us to be aware of the associated risks so that we can take
steps definitive steps to protect us against Bluetooth attacks.
Some common types of Bluetooth attacks:
BlueJacking
Yep, no prizes for guessing it is a combination of two
words – Bluetooth and hijacking. This is a typeof attack
in which a Bluetooth-enabled device hijacks another
Bluetooth device to send spamadvertising.
Imagine youare in a public place with the Bluetoothon your
Imagine you are in a public place with the Bluetooth on your
device switched on. There is a criminal at work in the public
space with a BlueJacking device, and they pair thedevice with
yours and starts to spend spam-styleadvertising messages. At
face value, this problem sounds like an annoyance more than
anything else, but what if one of these messages contains a
malicious link? Or is a carefully crafted message that convinces
you to share sensitive personalinformation?A BlueJacking
attempt can go from an annoyance to a critical security issue.

2. THE DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY
22 September
2021
BlueSmacking (A DoS or denial-of-service attack)
A DoS attack involves a server or device receiving a truckload of data
packets, or even over-sized data packets it finds difficult to handle. The
result is that thedevice shuts down or malfunctions. What if your
Bluetooth device is considered important enough to launch a denial-of-
service (DoS) attack against?
This is not as farfetched as it sounds. Today,
mobile devices are not just used for calling or
sending messages. Phones, tablets, and laptops are
being used to storeimportant information and
execute programs that have a direct impact on a
business-critical project. Now imagine a
BlueSmacking attack against numerous such
devices that are a part of a single organization.
BlueSnarfing
This is the more ‘frightening’ version of ‘BlueJacking’. While the latter
sends data, theBlueSnarfing steals data. As in all attacks which aim to
gain unauthorized access to data, you won’t realize someone has
accessed your data until it is too late.
Picture a scenario in which you are at the airport and having some free
time on your hands before you board your flight, you decide to get some
work done.
Unbeknownst to you, the person sitting next
to you is a hacker who is just waiting for an
opportunity to BlueSnarf unsuspecting users
such are yourself. If your Bluetooth is
switched on, your device is paired
clandestinely and thedata on your device is
accessed, which can include emails, text
messages, and much more.
Eavesdropping
We are living in a world where we are working from home and
attending numerous business meetings throughout theday. Many of the
headsets we use are Bluetooth enabled. Criminals can exploit
vulnerabilities in such headsets and eavesdrop on your conversations.
Here’s the really scary bit. Hackers can
eavesdrop on theconversations you are
having with the peoplearound you as well.
This is the kind of breach of privacy that
can result in bigger problems.

3. THE DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY
22 September
2021
The ‘opensesame’ bug
Cybercriminals can also create a backdoor on your device or laptop using Bluetooth. Once a backdoor has been
established,the attacker can have a field day as they can access all manner of sensitive information stored on this
device. You won’t realize it, but a criminal can spy on all youractivities on the device. Imagine the potential for
havoc.
How do you protect yourself?
Now that you know the security risks, how do you protect yourself?It’s not that difficult if you take the basic steps.
 Always be very aware of where your device is. Do not misplace it or forget about where you have kept it. This is
super important if you are working from a public space. Also, if you do lose your phone, make sure you can
easily lock it remotely.
 Get into the habit of not using Bluetooth to transfer sensitive information. If you do share important files, encrypt
them first.
 If you are not using your Bluetooth, turn it off. When you do this, you switch off a possiblecyberattack vector.
Documentery made by:-
Shravani S.Patil
Class:- 9th
A Roll no.:-12