The names they give to the types of scams can be very strange and difficult to understand. Phishing, vishing, smishing, whaling… The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has recently spoken about a term that, for many, is still unknown: bluesnarfing.
Like almost any concept related to cybersecurity that is difficult to understand, bluesnarfing comes from English. It is actually a term made up of two words: “Bluetooth”, wireless connectivity, and “snarf”, which means something like “picking something without permission.” Therefore, just from these words it is clear that it refers to a computer attack to steal data through Bluetooth.
Although bluesnarfing is not a new tactic to obtain confidential information, more cases than normal have been detected in recent months. This has caused the OCU to report what is behind this fraud so that we can be alert and try to prevent ourselves.
What is bluesnarfing?
As we have already mentioned a few lines above, bluesnarfing is a type of attack in which cybercriminals steal any data from your mobile phone using the Bluetooth connection. However, this type of wireless connectivity requires the device to be close, so the attacker will not be able to do so from a far distance, but will have to be only a few meters away for a while.
Likewise, just because they are close to us, they are not going to get our private information. They must also meet a series of requirements. The first and most important: we will have to have Bluetooth activated. If you are one of those who always deactivates this signal and only enables it when you need it, you will be safe. But if you have it on because you use wireless headphones when you walk down the street, you could be in danger.
Sometimes, we can detect that they are trying to bluesnarf us. We can find out if you send us a request to connect a foreign device. If we are not trying to pair any device via Bluetooth, it is best to reject it at all times. However, our permission is not always required to use this connectivity and it is very difficult to pay attention to these failures.
How to avoid being a victim of bluesnarfing?
We have already said that the best way to avoid bluesnarfing is to disable Bluetooth as much as possible and not authorize connections from unknown devices. This is especially very important when we are going to spend a long time in one place. Since attackers will need to be within 10-15 meters of you for data theft to be effective, if you are in a coffee shop or on a train ride, you will be in more danger. However, there are cases in which there may be greater distances, since smartphones with Bluetooth 5.0 allow connections up to 240 meters apart.
Of course, unchecking this type of connectivity and avoiding giving permission to unknown devices are not the only ways to prevent bluesnarfing. Another way to protect yourself is to always have your phone’s operating system updated.
Software companies like iOS and Android usually add security patches to detected vulnerabilities every time they release an update. This is the most effective way to ensure that no one enters your mobile to steal your personal and banking data via Bluetooth.
If you have an outdated smartphone that no longer receives updates, it is advisable to consider purchasing a new model. However, it may be the case that your phone does support more software versions, but you have manual updates enabled and it hasn’t been renewed for a while. Check it from the device settings.
