To branch from another thread, and to follow my statement concerning the relative privacy or Bluetooth technology:
Configured correctly, BT is quite "private" (though not encrypted).
Devices must be "paired" to each other, and it is up to the user to
tell a device to make its presence known to other devices.
There are numerous hits on the net concering the insecurity of BT, many of which date back to 2003 and earlier. As I mentioned in my previous post, there have indeed been advances in BT technology, and it is, after all, for PANs, not LANs.
Lately, confusion and misinformation surrounding security and
/Bluetooth/ wireless technology has increased. The current security
issues typically involve mobile phones. How these issues apply to
other classes of devices is important and is often not
addressed. The encryption algorithm in the /Bluetooth/
specifications is secure. This includes devices such as mice and
keyboards connecting to a PC, a mobile phone synchronizing with a
PC, and a PDA using a mobile phone as a modem to name just a few of
the many use cases.
Cases where data has been compromised on mobile phones are the
result of implementation issues on that platform. [...]
So, in short, considering the entire paradigm of wireless connectivity, BT is probably about as tight as anything else we have today (and I mean "probably" in a very loose sense of the word).
Cheers, everyone, and don't sweat the small stuff. Get a good phone, and your data will most likely be safe. Don't sync your devices in public places (sounds pretty disgusting, anyway, huh?), and you should be just fine.
--
Lewis
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Lewis G Rosenthal, CNA, CLP, CLE
Rosenthal & Rosenthal, LLC
Accountants / Network Consultants
New York / Northern Virginia www.2rosenthals.com
eComStation Consultants www.ecomstation.com
Novell Users Int'l www.novell.com/openenterpriseserver
Need a managed Wi-Fi hotspot? www.hautspot.com
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