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Report: Bluetooth has security gaps

Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Robert Lemos
covers viruses, worms and other security threats.
Robert Lemos

A report released this week by digital security firm @Stake argues that devices that are equipped with the short-range wireless technology, Bluetooth, could be easily attacked. The report highlights experiments showing that devices boasting the technology can be detected easily and, in some cases, that personal data from the gadgets can be downloaded.

Other wireless technologies have endured similar criticism. A wireless technology for creating local area networks, called 802.11b or Wi-Fi, has been criticized by security experts for having holes in its protections. Many of those insecurities have been addressed in a new security standard known as Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA.