Page 31 - Cyber Warnings

Understanding Bluetooth and its role in the Internet of Things

By Dimitri Vlachos, VP of Marketing, Pwnie Express

Bluetooth technology was originally designed for continuous, streaming data applications -
essentially, it was intended to replace wires to create the possibility of a Wireless Personal Area
Network.

The (then new) technology added a digital layer in many consumer and industrial applications,
and has since become incredibly widespread.

Bluetooth is now a standard feature in most phones, cars and computers, and becoming
increasingly included in a variety of other devices. With the introduction of Bluetooth Low
Energy, devices that are considered a part of the Internet of Things - like smart door locks or
soccer balls - are now using Bluetooth technology.

Though Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy share a name and a wavelength, they are
fundamentally different technologies. While most consumers don’t realize that their Bluetooth
headphones and their Bluetooth light bulbs function differently, they do understand that products
with the stylized B symbol can be controlled with their phones.

This has contributed, in part, to the widespread adoption of BLE as an IoT protocol. Instead of
learning an entirely new system, consumers just need to use the Bluetooth functionality on their
phone or computer to control the cornucopia of devices using Bluetooth technology.

These devices are being used across all industries - healthcare, athletics, energy, home, and
more. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has even defined several BLE/Bluetooth Smart
“profiles” for compatibility within different applications.

These include everything from blood pressure and glucose monitoring to calculating a runner’s
speed and cadence profile. New devices have included BLE in everything from health
monitoring services to the ability to assess environmental conditions.

This widespread adoption of Bluetooth technology has not only led to cheap hardware and
consumer adoption, but also criminal adoption. Not only is Bluetooth being added to consumer
devices such as shoes and water bottles, but it is also being added to criminal devices such as
credit card skimmers.

The same ease of use offered by consumer Bluetooth devices is now very common in criminal
devices.

31 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine October 2016 Edition
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