Virus "BlueBorne Attack" Utilizes Bluetooth To Seize and Control Smartphones
Everyone we know, from friends to clients, homeowners to employees to business owners, has a smartphone. Many of them use their Bluetooth devices as integral parts of making hectic days that much easier. But, as we found out from this report there is a new tech virus that invades phones using the Bluetooth causing a "BlueBorne Attack" to completely gain access and control of your phone and everything in it. WPTV.com reported and we did a little bit of extra digging on the topic and found three simple solutions to preventing an attack:
Imagine a virus that can infect your phone just because you have it turned on. It can allow hackers to take control of your phone, take pictures and view or share photos, videos, contacts and messages — and the hackers can do it all without you ever knowing.
It's called a "BlueBorne" attack, and the virus uses Bluetooth to access your phone. Any device on which you use Bluetooth, including voice-activated speakers, could be vulnerable.
Because it runs on Bluetooth, the attack has to be launched within about 30 feet of the device.
Phones with older operating systems are most vulnerable — according to Ken Colburn with Data Doctors, Apple has already fixed the issue on IPhones with iOS 10 or higher. If your iPhone is operating on an older system, you'll need to update your phone in "settings."
For android phones, there is a free app by the company that discovered the virus, Armis labs. It will tell you if your device is vulnerable.
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HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PHONE FROM A BLUEBORNE ATTACK
According to innov8tiv.com there are at least three simple things you can do to protect yourself from a BlueBorne attack:
1. Always turn off your Bluetooth connection when you are not using it.
2. Make sure to consistently and regularly install updates to patch your operating system.
3. Make sure you are running the latest drivers for all your devices on your network.
David Maciejak, Director of Security Research for Fortinet explains how fast a BlueBorne attack can happen: “Once a target is identified, the hack takes less than 10 seconds, and targeted devices don’t even need to accept an incoming connection in order to be compromised. Once a device has been compromised, attackers are able to run arbitrary commands on the device and even access and potentially steal data. The attack also immediately begins to seek out and spread to other vulnerable Bluetooth-enabled targets.”
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