Bluesnarfing

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What Does Bluesnarfing Mean?

Bluesnarfing is a device hack performed when a wireless, Bluetooth-enabled device is in discoverable mode. Bluesnarfing allows hackers to remotely access Bluetooth device data, such as a user’s calendar, contact list, emails and text messages. This attack is perpetrated without the victim’s knowledge.

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Techopedia Explains Bluesnarfing

Bluetooth-enabled devices are vulnerable to bluesnarfing attacks when in discoverable mode because hackers can respond to queries from other Bluetooth-enabled devices, thus gaining unauthorized access to information.

Most mobile phone discovery modes are activated by default. Unless the mode is deactivated, a device is susceptible to bluesnarfing attacks. The only way to fully protect a wireless device against bluesnarfing is to turn off Bluetooth. Keeping the phone in "invisible" mode provides some protection.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.