This scary situation can happen to anybody, and that’s because not many people know what bluesnarfing is.
We will be looking at ways to identify these activities and prevent them.
What Is Bluesnarfing?
Bluesnarfing is a process of stealing data from unsuspecting victims via Bluetooth connections.
Bluetooth hacking is not limited to mobile phones.
It can happen with laptops, tablets, and other digital devices that support Bluetooth.
Cybercriminals first look for devices with an active and discoverable Bluetooth connection.
In most cases, victims of bluesnarfing do not know that someone has gained access to their phones.
The hackers can download data from a Bluetooth-enabled unit using Bluediving.
Related:What Is Session Hijacking and How Can You Prevent It?
Bluediving is a utility that identifies vulnerable devices.
Skilled programmers can create a bluesnarfing program, while some hire others to help them make this tool.
When someone tries to bluesnarf you, they want to get sensitive data from your gear.
When hackers gain access to your unit, they can do whatever they want with your data.
People lose control of their devices and watch someone else operate their phones.
The attacker can’t go very far unless they use advanced tech.
The process of linking the Bluetooth rig from a far distance is called Bluesniping.
Hackers use this to attack people’s gadgets that are not close to them.
The tool can go beyond the Bluetooth range.
How Can You Detect Bluesnarfing?
Your data is a goldmine.
You have to guard it because you never know who might be after it for selfish gains.
Even some of your favorite companies are also in thebusiness of data mining.
One of the reasons people fall prey to a bluesnarfing attack is the default Bluetooth tweaks on most devices.
Many smartphones today have their Bluetooth tweaks on discovery mode.
As we already mentioned, hackers use bluesnarfing to gain access to data.
This is why it is crucial you quickly identify these attacks to combat them immediately.
Attackers can only execute bluesnarfing using a laptop.
If there is no laptop, it is impossible to run this operation.
They usually attach a Bluetooth dongle and other tools to perform this operation.
Bluesnarfing is an advanced form of cyberattack.
As a result of this, Only programming experts can perform it.
For instance, Google stole data from unprotected wireless networks in 2013, as reported byThe New York Times.
The company was found guilty of using Google’s Street View cars to steal data.
While on the road, these cars scanned unprotected wireless networks to retrieve data from them.
Google collected data such as emails and passwords without the owners' consent.
The organization was fined $7 million for this violation.
Google did not use Bluetooth to commit this misconduct but instead stole data with unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
The danger lies with leaving your Bluetooth connection on, making your unit vulnerable.
You should also note that hackers may have different intentions.
How Can You Prevent a Bluesnarfing Attack?
We have established the dangers of bluesnarfing and how attackers carry it out.
However, the best way to combat this attack is prevention.
You must take adequate measures to protect your data in this case because you are solely responsible for it.
Here are some of the things you’ve got the option to do to prevent bluesnarfing attacks.
Keeping your Bluetooth connection turned off will prevent any unauthorized access.
Attackers only have something to work with when an active connection is available.
Bluesnarfing is gaining momentum due to a lack of awareness among Bluetooth users.
you’re free to easily turn off the Bluetooth connection on older devices.
However, modern smartphones have built-in authentication that hackers can bypass to pair with untrusted devices.
This shows that the latest technology is not always the best.
Sometimes, the older ways are more effective.
