2023-11-24 01:41:19
Friday, November 24, 2023, 00:41
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Most of the smart devices – mobile phones, tablets, laptops, even televisions, etc. – that we use allow us to exchange information through wireless connections. Perhaps the best known of them is Wi-Fi.
There is constant warning about the dangers of connecting to a public network: cybercriminals often use free Wi-Fi in a public space to access sensitive user data.
More unknown is probably the risk involved in using Bluetooth. It is a type of technology that allows short-range wireless communication between electronic devices. It is present in computers, smartphones, tablets, speakers, headphones and radio devices, to give a few examples.
It is normally used to synchronize one or more of these devices with each other in order to share files of all types: photos, videos, music, etc. Many times it is used temporarily to exchange that information.
But there are certain devices, such as ‘smartwatches’, that require a continuous connection with another electronic device, especially the mobile phone. Only in this way can we receive calls, instant messaging or, for example, data on our physical activity (steps and kilometers traveled).
So the longer we have it activated, the longer the time we will be exposed to hackers.
To connect two devices via Bluetooth it is necessary that they be close, and of course that they have it activated. Normally, authorization of the device that will receive this data is required, as a security measure.
But, as the Bank of Spain (BdE) warns in its Banking Client Portal, “this step is not always followed.” Cybercriminals, he specifies, “use specific programs with which they are able to establish a connection with our device and thus access our data.”
In this way they could obtain highly sensitive information, such as passwords, “impersonate our identity and even make ‘online’ transactions or purchases, if they reached our bank details.” This type of scam has a name: ‘bluesnarfing‘.
Tips to avoid it
The Bank of Spain offers a series of tips to avoid being a victim of it:
– Keep Bluetooth disabled if not in use. It is the safest way to avoid the attack. You can also set your device so that others cannot find you.
– Do not authorize a connection with a device that we do not know.
– Update the mobile device software frequently. These updates usually correct existing weaknesses and increase the security of the device.
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