Over the past few years we as a race have become overly dependent on technology, which has compelled us to develop electronic devises that allow us to transfer and share data more rapidly and securely. However, this task of connecting different technologies has not been painless as most devices come with different operating systems, parts, connectors, and protocols that need to be considered and taken care of before developing any new devices. As a result, it has been a challenge to produce new technologies and protocols to allow these devices to connect easily. One such solution is Bluetooth will allows devices to connect wirelessly over a short range. However, like any other wireless networking, Bluetooth is also prone to various types of hacking.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a device that uses radio communication to wirelessly connect electronic devices such as cell phones, portable computers, and portable handheld devices to connect to one another as well as to the Internet. According to Wikipedia.org “the communication distance ranges from about 1 meter to a maximum of 100 meters.” This suggests that the network is created using low powered radio waves. Devices using Bluetooth are able to transfer data at a rate of 1 Mbps. Bluetooth technology was established to replace cable networking and to establish communication over short ranges.
How does Bluetooth work?
Standard Bluetooth technology uses radio waves to create a wireless network between devices. In order to do this, a Bluetooth-chip is fit into the consumer’s electronic device and peripherals to communicate at a special frequency with each other. The chip consists of a transmitter and a receiver known as a transceiver. The transmitter chip transmits data thro...
... middle of paper ...
...e in the form of business cards.
Rob Schneirderman in his article about communication security, very rightly points out that “more than 20 million handheld PDA’s and a billion mobile phones are in use today, yet few corporations have security policies in place to administer the use and protection of their wireless data.” Bluetooth is a wireless technology and it is prone to many flaws and security problems, but when used carefully, it can really be advantageous to the world of IT and users in general. Users concerned with security will have to give up a few conveniences in order to ensure they receive secure data. Increasingly, manufacturers of Bluetooth devices understand the balance between security and convenience and are trying to design their devices in ways that encourage users to be more secure about the information they receive and send through their device.
In this section we investigate attacks and threats to our primary devices. These attacks and threats are built off of the vulnerabilities the previous section and help to determine which security controls would be most valuable against future attacks.
Wireless networks – While the term wireless network may technically be used to refer to any type of network that is wireless, the term is most commonly used to refer to a telecommunications network whose interconnection between nodes is implemented without the use of wires, such as a computer network. Wireless telecommunication networks are generally implemented with some type of remote information transmission system that uses electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, for the carrier and this implementation usually takes place at the physical level or “layer” network.
As we progress deeper into the digital era, we rely more and more on our electronic devices. Over the last decade, almost everyone who lives in a developed nation owns a cellphone and they are becoming an integral part of our life.
Niem, Tu C. "Bluetooth And Its Inherent Security Issues." Www.sans.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sans.org%2Freading-room%2Fwhitepapers%2Fwireless%2Fbluetooth-inherent-security-issues-945>.
There is constant concern about different kinds of devices and tools because of their vulnerability: laptops; personal computers in the home; libraries and public workstations; USB Flash Drives and email, to name a few. These items are easily accessible for those attempting to breach security.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Cell phones otherwise known as smart phones by today’s standards are an immense help to most Americans in many way. We use our cell phones daily for communication with friends and family through texting and phone calls, scheduling appointment, or social media. However the convenience of smart phones is being abused daily in several ways that can lead to severe impacts with the distractions they pose.
While the conventional desktop PC will still continue to serve important functions at both consumer and professional levels, there is an expectation that mobile devices will become the predominant form for accessing both personal and professional content; it is understandable that cyber criminals have begun focusing on mobile devices which have at the same time grown their user base while substantially consolidating the operating system variants which makes the surface area for a potential attack substantially larger (Juniper Networks, n.d.).... ... middle of paper ... ... Mobile Device Security: A Survey of Mobile Device Threats, Vulnerabilities and their Defensive Mechanism. International Journal of Computer Applications.
Some as young as middle school ages have smart phones. Since the first cell phone made in 1973, cell phones have evolved drastically based on new technology advancements discovered by scientists and engineers and the lives people live nowadays. Since the first cell phone, there have been many advances in what you can do with a cell phone. Nowadays, cell phones co...
technologies such as Bluetooth and ZigBee which are used to carry the information from perception devices to a nearby gateway based on the capabilities of the communicating parties. Internet technologies such as WiFi, 2G, 3G, and 4G carry the information over long distances based on the application. Since applications aim to create smart homes, smart cities, power system monitoring etc.
Cell Phones: A portable phone that uses wireless technology to send and receive phone signals. This technolog...
Cellular wireless technology was developed in the 1980’s with 1G as their primary service.... ... middle of paper ... ... Some arguments that have been associated with Bluetooth are that it’s software or it’s hardware
As you can see for the most part, people are connecting to wireless from the moment they leave their home till they get to work and then back. Wireless communication definitely provides an advantage over wired networks due to its mobility, allowing users to connect from virtually anywhere.
Every day of our lives, we watch as technology advances in leaps and bounds, so it was only logical when the cell phone came into existence, it would also be necessary to develop ways for a phone to be more than just a phone. With the explosion of the internet age people needed a way to bring their computers on the go, one that could fit in the palm of their hand. Whether it be checking emails, updating social networks or even playing games, smartphones seem to do it all. There is, however, a dark side to every technological advance that is made, to everything that makes our lives more convenient. Smartphones are not only an enormous distraction in our lives but are also known to cause health problems in those
Devices such as smartphones have become essential - over 1 billion smart phones were sold worldwide last year (Zeman, 2014). However, our reliance on technology has its pitfalls, and we are also more vulnerable, often in ways we do not know or understand. If we are to maintain our security we need to find ways to do this that fit in with our lifestyles. We can change behaviours, by education and training, but ideally we should design in security from the ground up, rather than adding it on, or trying to force actions that people simply won’t follow because they find them irritating or think they’re simply not important. Security should be something that just happens.
A cell phone is essentially a two-way radio consisting of a radio transmitter and a radio receiver. When you talk to your friend on your mobile phone, your mobile transfers your voice into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted through radio waves to the nearest cell tower. The network of cell phone towers then replays the radio wave to friend’s cell phone, which converts it to an electrical signal and back to sound. Cell phones transmit radio waves in all directions.