SHORT RANGE

Bluetooth short-range wireless technology is now a part of everyday life. You’ll find Bluetooth networks operating invisibly wherever computers connect with wireless keyboards, cellphones, headsets, and PDAs. But is Bluetooth secure? Does the Linux environment offer possibilities for Bluetooth customization? We’ll provide answers to these questions in this month’s Bluetooth Hacks cover story. Like almost everything else on a network, Bluetooth really isn’t as safe as it seems. In our first article, we’ll show you the tricks intruders use to break into Bluetooth. You’ll learn about the Bluetooth protocol layers, and we’ll describe some documented attack techniques, such as Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing, and Bluebugging. We’ll also give you some tips on how to protect your Bluetooth devices.