Bluetooth Security Threats And Solutions: A Survey

Abstract

Bluetooth technology has become an integral part of this modern society. The availability of mobile phones, game controllers, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and personal computers has made Bluetooth a popular technology for short range wireless communication. However, as the Bluetooth technology becomes widespread, vulnerabilities in its security protocols are increasing which can be potentially dangerous to the privacy of a user’s personal information. The security issues of Bluetooth have been an active area of research for the last few years. This paper presents the vulnerabilities in the security protocols of this technology along with some past security threats and possible countermeasures as reported in the literatures which have been surveyed and summarized in this paper. It also presents some tips that end-users can implement immediately to become more cautious about their private information. Finally, the paper concludes with some recommendations for future security enhancements that can be implemented in the Bluetooth standard.