By the end of 1999, another four big companies- Microsoft, Agere Systems, 3Com and Motorola- had become a part of the Bluetooth SIG (The Wireless Directory, 2003). Just as the Bluetooth SIG has grown from five members in 1998 to more than 9000 members today (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008), so has the Bluetooth technology evolved over the time.
Bluetooth version 1.0 and 1.0B were the very first Bluetooth specifications to be released in 1999 (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008; see also Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). Due to certain interoperability issues, the initial versions did not manage to create an impact on the industry (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008). The interoperability issues were resolved with the release of Bluetooth version 1.1 (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008). The years 2000 to 2003 saw the launch of various mobile devices, such as cell phones and laptops, car-kits, cameras, headsets etc. embedded with the Bluetooth technology (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). Bluetooth version 1.2, which was designed to allow faster data rates of up to 1Mbps (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008) and had a range of around 10 meters, was launched in 2003 (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). Version 1.2 found increased use in the mobile phones and the medical industry. SIG worked aggressively to increase the range and speed of Bluetooth and announced the release of Bluetooth version 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) in 2004 (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008). Version 2.0+ EDR not only had speeds of up to 3Mbps but also consumed lower power and supported multiple connections (“Bluetooth Core Specification Versions”, 2008). The release of version 2.1+ EDR, developed to provide enhanced security, was announced in 2007 (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008).
Over the years, the Bluetooth technology has continued to advance and has found increased use in the computer, medical, automotive, and in hundreds of other industries. Manufacturers are constantly coming up with innovative ideas to use Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology has helped companies save money and improve worker efficiency. Bluetooth has made millions of customers happy by making daily tasks convenient and simple. The world today would be “blue” without Bluetooth.
Managerial/ Business Issues Surrounding Bluetooth Technology
Pearlson & Suanders (2006) in the text Managing and Using Information Systems: A Strategic Approach stress on how managers should make important business decisions and information system (IS) decisions only after thorough consideration of the complexities and needs of both the business and the IS. According to the Information Systems Strategy Triangle shown in Figure 1, “Business strategy drives organizational strategy and IS strategy” and that “IS strategy must complement business strategy” (Pearlson & Saunders, 2006, p. 20, 33).
Business Strategy
Organizational Strategy Information Strategy
Figure 1: The Information Systems Strategy Triangle
With the emergence of Bluetooth technology, more businesses are including the technology into the products. Before making any business decisions related to manufacturing Bluetooth enabled devices, the managers of the vendor firm must consider all the technology risks and security issues involved with introducing Bluetooth in the products. Failure to comply with the security protocols during the development of Bluetooth enabled devices makes the device unsafe for use, poses a security threat to the Bluetooth user, and jeopardizes the reputation of the vendor firm (Business Editors, 2000, p. 1). The managers must ensure that all devices are properly tested for security flaws and that the devices contain at least the basic security features (Business Editors, 2000, p. 1).
Bluetooth technology finds most use in mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, smart phones etc. The security issues of Bluetooth are coming more into limelight as Bluetooth’s popularity is on the rise. The pairing process between the Bluetooth devices opens the room for security breach. The easily decipherable PINs of the Bluetooth devices also leave the device vulnerable to security attacks. To make matters worse, most Bluetooth devices have a default security setting of 1 (non-secure mode), thereby allowing Bluetooth devices to “talk” to each other without the need of authentication and encryption (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released an extensive list of known Bluetooth security issues (Karygiannis & Owens, 2002, p.76-77). The listed problems range from less complex ones such as the short length (and hence easily decipherable) and reusability of the PIN to more complex ones such as the use of device authentication over user authentication (Karygiannis & Owens, 2002, p.76-77). According to NIST, the security loopholes can subject a user to loss of confidentiality, eavesdropping and impersonation, and denial of service, to name a few (Karygiannis & Owens, 2002, p.77-80).
Confidentiality Loss
One of the biggest security flaws of the Bluetooth system is that compromised Bluetooth devices (unauthorized devices) can continue to access the information of authorized Bluetooth devices. “Moreover, the compromised device may still have network or information privileges, resulting in a compromise of the wider network as well” (Karygiannis & Owens, 2002, p.77-78). As the Bluetooth system uses device authentication over user authentication, the unauthorized pairing or talking of the Bluetooth devices may result in the transfer of the authorized user’s ID and password to the unauthorized device, thus making the device susceptible to further attacks.
Eavesdropping and Breach of Privacy
Eavesdropping, in the most basic terms, means to spy on conversations between people. Eavesdropping causes a threat to an individual’s/ organization’s integrity. The illegal access to information leads to tampering with that data. The resulting corrupted data can be easily spread all over the network without the knowledge of that individual or organization, and much to the annoyance of the other Bluetooth device users (Niem, 2002, p. 12-14). Depending upon the way data is illegally accessed and used in a Bluetooth network, eavesdropping is given different names such as Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing and Bluebugging, which are explained below:
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Bluejacking: “Bluejacking allows phone users to send business cards anonymously using Bluetooth wireless technology” (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008, What is Bluejacking section, para 1). A few everyday examples of Bluejacking are receiving spam email or advertising messages on cell phone.
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Bluesnarfing: Bluesnarfing allows the hacker to not only access information such as the address book, camera (photographs), videos, emails, calendar etc. of the attacked device but also install malicious software onto the receiving Bluetooth device (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). When Bluesnarfing takes place, the attacked user has no knowledge of the intrusion (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). Even if the Bluetooth device is stolen, the data contained on the device can be used to listen onto future conversations with other devices.
- Bluebugging: Bluebugging is a more extreme form of Bluesnarfing and essentially refers to taking control of the victims’ phone without the victims’ knowledge. Bluebugging “allows the hacker to initiate phone calls, send and receive text messages, read and write phonebook contacts, eavesdrop on phone conversations, and connect to the Internet” (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008, What is bluebugging section, para 1).
For eavesdropping to take place, the Bluetooth devices must be in 10 meters range of each other (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008), and one way to avoid eavesdropping is to set the Bluetooth device to non-discoverable mode. (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008).
Denial of Service Attack
Denial of service (DoS) attacks hinder authorized Bluetooth users from using network resources. DoS attacks can be conducted by either causing the user to miss calls as the attacker could remotely turn off the user’s device (or jam the signal) or causing the device’s battery to drain out by downloading and installing programs which would keep the device extremely busy (Niem, 2002, p. 17-19).
The Bluetooth manufacturers must be aware of the Bluetooth security flaws, and hence work towards taking appropriate measures to protect the device users. Either a Bluetooth device could have an in-built default setting to non-discoverable mode to prevent detection by other malicious Bluetooth users or various software patches could be provided by the manufacturers, and newer, more secure Bluetooth versions could be used in the Bluetooth products.
Key Buzz Words Associated with Bluetooth Technology
Knowing the definitions of a few important terms would be helpful when trying to understand the working, history, current state, security issues and future of Bluetooth technology. A glossary of Bluetooth related important terms is as follows:
Examples of Bluetooth Technology and Their Use
Bluetooth technology has revolutionized the communication world by enabling voice and data transfer between Bluetooth enabled devices. Probably the most heard of Bluetooth application is the wireless functionality provided in computer systems such as laptops and in mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs. A wide range of Bluetooth enabled accessories such as headsets, hands-free, keyboards, cordless mouse, laptop speakers, printers, USB adapters, and GPS receivers are being sold by Bluetooth vendors. But Bluetooth’s functionality is not limited only to the computer industry. Bluetooth has become immensely popular not only in the automotive industry and the medical field but also in the day-to-day functioning of organizations.
Bluetooth in the Car
Car manufacturers have gone a long way from providing hands-free applications of Bluetooth to making Bluetooth a part of the car’s integrated systems. Right from being able to answer calls at the touch of a button to voice-reading text messages, Bluetooth devices do all (Quain, 2007). Systems such as Ford’s Sync, which is “a fully integrated, voice activated, in-car communication and entertainment system” (Ford Motor Company, 2008), and Bluetooth-enabled ElmScan 5 Wireless, which is “a device used to read diagnostic codes via a car’s on-board diagnostics plug” (Quain, 2007) are the latest Bluetooth craze in the automotive industry.
Bluetooth in the Hospital
Bluetooth technology has recently entered the medical field and by far the biggest contribution has been to help a double amputee, Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill, to walk again (Shaughnessy, 2008).
Bluetooth in the Office
A Bluetooth network in the office can make computer networking simple, and connect all computer systems such as PCs, printers, scanners etc. wirelessly (Gupta, n.d.). Bluetooth makes the exchange of information and data synchronization easy by automating the daily activities of the work place (Gupta, n.d.).
The Future of Bluetooth Technology
Wireless technology is here to stay and Bluetooth is the next big thing. Bluetooth is, slowly but surely, becoming the new wireless standard. The wireless market already boasts of a huge number of Bluetooth devices, with thousands of new products expecting to enter the market in the near future.
The number of companies investing huge amounts of money in Bluetooth is also on the rise, thereby asserting the idea that Bluetooth technology certainly has a bright future. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is working very hard towards introducing new better versions of Bluetooth, integrating Bluetooth and other wireless technologies and introducing new industries to Bluetooth, all in an attempt to eliminate the current issues associated with Bluetooth.
Introducing New Versions of Bluetooth
Bluetooth creators and manufacturers have been under the knife not only for deploying poor security features in the Bluetooth devices but also for using complex processes to pair the Bluetooth devices. In a recent announcement, the Bluetooth SIG shared detailed information of the new Bluetooth Version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008). The new version would ease the pairing process, enhance performance of Bluetooth devices, result in lower power consumption and exhibit improved security measures (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2008).
Integrating Bluetooth and other Wireless Technologies
One can expect the technology behind Bluetooth to only get better with time. Bluetooth SIG has decided to partner Bluetooth with Wi-Fi (802.11), WiMedia Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and various other technologies. Few perks of the above mentioned partnerships are as follows:
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Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11): Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled devices use the same frequency band 2.402-2.480 GHz. The plan would be that “the Bluetooth stack run over high-bandwidth 802.11 Wi-Fi radios, in addition to the short-range, 1M to 3Mbps Bluetooth radios in use today” (Cox, 2008). The coexistence of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi together would result in better performance (a result of availability of higher bandwidth) and higher speeds (a result of faster data rates).
- Bluetooth and WiMedia UWB: In the future, Bluetooth SIG is planning to launch version 3.0 in collaboration with WiMedia Alliance (Merritt, 2008). The resulting devices would have the high-speed advantage of UWB and the low cost, low power advantage of Bluetooth. A change of current Bluetooth speed of 3Mbps to UWB speed of 480Mbps would improve the download and transfer speeds of videos and music many folds (Quain, 2007)
Entering Untapped Businesses
Companies are coming out of the comfort zone and exploring new possibilities with Bluetooth. Not only the computer industry, but also the mobile commerce industry, automotive industry, and medical field, to name a few, are making full use of the advantages of the Bluetooth technology. Manufacturers are getting innovative and constantly finding new ways to implement Bluetooth into products.
Conclusion
Bluetooth is a groundbreaking short-range wireless technology. Many manufacturers are hopping onto the Bluetooth bandwagon and the technology is seen as a common feature in many products. The paper Bluetooth Technology focused on the: 1) explanation of Bluetooth technology, 2) key technology vendors, 3) history and current state of Bluetooth technology, 4) managerial/business issues surrounding Bluetooth technology, 5) key buzz words associated with Bluetooth technology, 6) examples of Bluetooth technology and their use, and 7) the future of Bluetooth technology.
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