Alexandra Obst 09:47, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
Privacy and New Technologies
Bluetooth-Privacy issues.
Bluetooth is a recent technology that allows electronic devices to communicate and connect to others. Bluetooth is a new service that is being offered to mobile phone buyers and users. Bluetooth is a wireless and automatic link that may connect many different types of electronic devices to each other. It can connect any piece of equipment from cell phones and computers to keyboards and headphones. (cited http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth2.htm, accessed September 29, 2004). Bluetooth has been developed to overcome any of the problem existent with wires and infrared communication. Bluetooth service does require any user input; bluetooth allows the electronic devices to communicate automatically. It enables any device in the vicinity of 10 metres to communicate with other devices.
PROBLEMS WITH BLUETOOTH: Being a wireless form of communication bluetooth is automatically subject to hacking threats. By allowing communication between wireless devices, bluetooth also allows individuals access to another’s personal information. Although mobile phones are the most threatened by the privacy and security breaches of this technology, other devices such as PDA’s and personal laptops are also highly subjectable. At this time in the development of such an advanced technology there are some serious flaws. Ones mobile phone is a personal device; mobile phones can store numerous types of private information. The flaws found in the bluetooth technology used in mobile phones entails the ability of strangers to hack into ones private information and use that in many ways. The attacker can download information such as phone numbers from the address book, text messages in the phone and also calender events. “An attacker could even plant phony text messages in a phone's memory, or turn the phone sitting in a victim's pocket or on a restaurant table top into a listening device to pick up private conversations in the phone's vicinity. Most types of attacks could be conducted without leaving a trace.�(http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64463-2,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1accessed 5 October 2004) The manufacturers of bluetooth did not plan for this sort of security breaching to occur when they developed this technology.Although some may think these types of attacks are too rare to be worried about, they are wrong, with technology like this even the smallest risk should be taken seriously. "The Nokia 6310 and 8910 series and the Sony Ericsson T610 are probably the worst affected because they are very popular phones,"(http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64463-2,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1)
In the future it is a goal of manufacturers that bluetooth will be in everything including home security systems, if this security concern is not eliminated there could be serious dangers for homeowners. Now that phone companies and the manufacturers of bluetooth are aware of the security risk at hand, they have taken the appropriate measures to improve this problem and eliminate the risk of attack altogether.
Bibliography
Franklin,C.2004, How Bluetooth Works http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth2.htm(accessed September 29, 2004).
The Official Bluetooth Website. 2004. http://www.bluetooth.com/(accessed October 20, 2004)
Zetter, K. 2004, Security Cavities ail Bluetooth. Wired News.
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64463-2,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1 (accessed October 13, 2004)
Alexandra Obst 16:58, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
