One of the main objectives of cybercriminals is to get hold of our confidential data from our smartphone or laptop. To achieve this goal, they can carry out different types of attacks from the Internet, such as phishing or ransomware. They can also take our information on public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks if we do not take the necessary measures such as using a VPN. However, even in a public place with our Bluetooth connection activated, people who are nearby could link to our smartphone and download images or other files. In this article we will see what Bluesnarfing is and how we can protect ourselves.
What is Bluesnarfing
Bluesnarfing can be defined as a process of stealing data from unsuspecting victims through the use of Bluetooth connections. Highly skilled cybercriminals manipulate Bluetooth technology to break into any Bluetooth-enabled device. An important thing to note is that it is not only limited to mobile phones, it can also affect laptops, tablets and other digital devices with a Bluetooth connection. The goal of bluesnarfing is to get our contacts, images, messages, videos and they can even get our passwords.
First of all, these hackers look for devices with an active and discoverable Bluetooth connection. They then perform a vulnerability scan to identify blind spots in the exchange protocol for transmitting data between your device and theirs.
Bluediving and Bluesniping
Victims most of the time are unaware that someone has gained access to their phones. Hackers use Bluediving to access them, which is a utility that identifies vulnerable devices. To do this, expert programmers can create a Bluesnarfing program or hire others to help them create this tool. In this aspect, it should be noted that it is not available to everyone and requires advanced knowledge.
On the other hand, if a cybercriminal is Bluesnarfing on our device, they are most likely within 10 meters of us. In that aspect you can not be further away unless you use advanced technology which is not usually usual. The process of pairing a Bluetooth device from a far distance is called Bluesniping . Cybercriminals use this to attack devices that are far away from them and can go beyond Bluetooth range.
How to protect yourself from Bluesnarfing
Bluesnarfing is an advanced form of cyberattack, and as we have already mentioned before, it is not available to everyone since only programming experts can carry it out. They often do this work for a much larger criminal organization or operation. Also, these hackers steal the data and then sell it to the highest bidder on the dark web.
The danger happens when we have our Bluetooth connection activated, which makes our device vulnerable. It should also be noted that our equipment may be used for criminal purposes. A criminal, terrorist or kidnapper could use Bluesnarfing to hide their identities when making their demands. Thus, they will make it more difficult for the security forces to track them down.
Here are some tips to prevent Bluesnarfing attacks.
- We must have the latest security updates installed on our mobile devices.
- We must turn off the Bluetooth connection when we are not using it.
- We should never accept the request to pair with an unknown device.
- We have to use strong passwords on our devices.
- We must change our passwords regularly for safe and unique ones.
In short, keeping our Bluetooth connection off will prevent any unauthorized access. In addition, we will have a small energy saving and our device will be more secure. Therefore, if we are not using our smartwatch, headphones or smartwatch connected by Bluetooth, it is best that this connection remains off. Remember that cybercriminals can only do Bluesnarfing when an active connection is available.
Finally, you may be interested in learning about the Acrylic Bluetooth tool to analyze Bluetooth networks around us.