<\/p>\n
But is it safe?<\/strong><\/h2>\nHackers like to go after things that are in common use.\u00a0 That makes sense, as there are loads of targets and people get careless.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kinetics.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Bluetooth2-300x166.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSo, hackers do things like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Bluejacking (Sending you messages via Bluetooth)<\/li>\n
- BlueSnarfing (stealing data via Blueooth)<\/li>\n
- BlueBugging (taking control of devices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
If the hacker can exploit a bug in Bluetooth, or your carelessness, and get access your device, then they can have free rein.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 They could turn on your microphone and listen to you.\u00a0 They can upload nonsense to your machine and disable it, or download your files.\u00a0 They could make a phone call, of hijack your data connection.<\/p>\nWhile Bluetooth is generally encrypted, they shouldn\u2019t be able to eavesdrop your connections, but you do need to be patched up to date<\/strong>, on your phone and your laptop.\u00a0 (services like KARE for Mobile helps keeps phones up-to-date by identifying units that are running vulnerable versions).To combat this threat:<\/p>\n\n- Ban devices that use Bluetooth 1.x, 2.0, or 4.0-LE<\/strong> and ensure devices use the latest versions and protocols.<\/li>\n
- Change the default pincodes on devices,<\/strong> especially those with microphones like many common Blueooth headsets and speakers \u2013 0000 or 1234 doesn\u2019t cut it!<\/li>\n
- Keep devices patched up to date.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Turn off Bluetooth<\/strong> when you aren\u2019t using it (it will also save your battery.)<\/li>\n
- Only \u2018scan\u2019 for new devices or make your device \u2018visible\u2019 when you actually want to make a connection<\/strong>.\u00a0 (I\u2019m always amazed at how many Bluetooth devices I can see and potentially connect to when I check this.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Remember as well that although Bluetooth is only supposed to connect over relatively short distances, hackers can use aerials and boosters to reach further than you would expect.\u00a0 Their prize is to eavesdrop on you, upload a malicious file to you, and ultimately to steal from you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t make it easy!<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bluetooth has become ubiquitous.\u00a0 We use it to connect our phones, laptops, keyboards, mice, headphones, speakers, cars \u2013 more and more each day. Even watches now! It seems to have got easier, maybe because we\u2019re so practised with it.\u00a0 Bluetooth is everywhere. But is it safe? Hackers like to go after things that are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Bluetooth has become ubiquitous.\u00a0 We use it to connect our phones, laptops, keyboards, mice, headphones, speakers, cars \u2013 more and more each day. Even watches now!\n\nIt seems to have got easier, maybe because we\u2019re so practised with it.\u00a0 Bluetooth is everywhere.<\/strong>\n\n \n[wow_colorme]But is it safe?[\/wow_colorme]<\/strong><\/h2>\nHackers like to go after things that are in common use.\u00a0 That makes sense, as there are loads of targets and people get careless.<\/a>\n\nSo, hackers do things like:<\/strong>\n\n \t- Bluejacking (Sending you messages via Bluetooth)<\/li>\n \t
- BlueSnarfing (stealing data via Blueooth)<\/li>\n \t
- BlueBugging (taking control of devices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[wow_spacing size=\"10px\"]<\/b>\n\nIf the hacker can exploit a bug in Bluetooth, or your carelessness, and get access your device, then they can have free rein.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 They could turn on your microphone and listen to you.\u00a0 They can upload nonsense to your machine and disable it, or download your files.\u00a0 They could make a phone call, of hijack your data connection.\n\nWhile Bluetooth is generally encrypted, they shouldn\u2019t be able to eavesdrop your connections, but you do need to be patched up to date<\/strong>, on your phone and your laptop.\u00a0 (services like KARE for Mobile helps keeps phones up-to-date by identifying units that are running vulnerable versions).\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"10px\"]\nTo combat this threat:\n
\n \t- Ban devices that use Bluetooth 1.x, 2.0, or 4.0-LE<\/strong> and ensure devices use the latest versions and protocols.<\/li>\n \t
- Change the default pincodes on devices,<\/strong> especially those with microphones like many common Blueooth headsets and speakers \u2013 0000 or 1234 doesn\u2019t cut it!<\/li>\n \t
- Keep devices patched up to date.<\/strong><\/li>\n \t
- Turn off Bluetooth<\/strong> when you aren\u2019t using it (it will also save your battery.)<\/li>\n \t
- Only \u2018scan\u2019 for new devices or make your device \u2018visible\u2019 when you actually want to make a connection<\/strong>.\u00a0 (I\u2019m always amazed at how many Bluetooth devices I can see and potentially connect to when I check this.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[wow_spacing size=\"20px\"]\n\nRemember as well that although Bluetooth is only supposed to connect over relatively short distances, hackers can use aerials and boosters to reach further than you would expect.\u00a0 Their prize is to eavesdrop on you, upload a malicious file to you, and ultimately to steal from you.\u00a0 [wow_spacing size=\"20px\"]\n\nDon\u2019t make it easy!<\/strong>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kinetics.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Bluetooth2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSo, hackers do things like:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If the hacker can exploit a bug in Bluetooth, or your carelessness, and get access your device, then they can have free rein.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 They could turn on your microphone and listen to you.\u00a0 They can upload nonsense to your machine and disable it, or download your files.\u00a0 They could make a phone call, of hijack your data connection.<\/p>\n While Bluetooth is generally encrypted, they shouldn\u2019t be able to eavesdrop your connections, but you do need to be patched up to date<\/strong>, on your phone and your laptop.\u00a0 (services like KARE for Mobile helps keeps phones up-to-date by identifying units that are running vulnerable versions).To combat this threat:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Remember as well that although Bluetooth is only supposed to connect over relatively short distances, hackers can use aerials and boosters to reach further than you would expect.\u00a0 Their prize is to eavesdrop on you, upload a malicious file to you, and ultimately to steal from you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t make it easy!<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bluetooth has become ubiquitous.\u00a0 We use it to connect our phones, laptops, keyboards, mice, headphones, speakers, cars \u2013 more and more each day. Even watches now! It seems to have got easier, maybe because we\u2019re so practised with it.\u00a0 Bluetooth is everywhere. But is it safe? Hackers like to go after things that are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Bluetooth has become ubiquitous.\u00a0 We use it to connect our phones, laptops, keyboards, mice, headphones, speakers, cars \u2013 more and more each day. Even watches now!\n\nIt seems to have got easier, maybe because we\u2019re so practised with it.\u00a0 Bluetooth is everywhere.<\/strong>\n\n \n\n
\n
[wow_colorme]But is it safe?[\/wow_colorme]<\/strong><\/h2>\nHackers like to go after things that are in common use.\u00a0 That makes sense, as there are loads of targets and people get careless.
<\/a>\n\nSo, hackers do things like:<\/strong>\n\n \t
\n \t