Concerned over an increase in instances of cybercrime, Prakasam district Superintendent of Police Malika Garg has asked the people to be wary of “bluebugging.”
Addressing the media here on Sunday, Ms. Malika Garg said, “It is a form of hacking that lets attackers access a device through its discoverable Bluetooth connection.”
“Once a device, or phone, is bluebugged, a hacker can listen to the calls, read and send messages, and steal and modify contacts,” she explained.
“Many smartphones have their Bluetooth settings on discovery mode, making it easy for the hackers to access the phones when they are within 10 metres from the device,” she said.
‘Turn off Bluetooth when not in use’
Mobile phone users were now more vulnerable to cyber attacks by the hackers, as even the most secure smartphones were no longer safe, she said, suggesting that the Bluetooth connection should be turned off when not in use.
“It is necessary to make Bluetooth devices undiscoverable from Bluetooth settings so that they are invisible to the hackers attempting to pair with the device,” Ms. Malika Garg added.
It was imperative for the smart phone users to avoid using WiFi facility in public places as they were more prone to hacking by the cyber criminals, she advised.
She also cautioned people against accepting request for Bluetooth pairing by strangers. Hackers could install malware in the compromised device to gain unauthorised access to it, she said.
Helpline
“Chances of stealing photos, files and data are very much there in such a situation,” she cautioned, adding that the stolen data might be used for blackmailing.
Any aggrieved persons could lodge their complaints by dialling 1930, or by visiting www.cybercrime.gov.in.
