Beacons are inconspicuous, compact wireless devices that repeatedly broadcast tiny packets of location and sensor data using Bluetooth Low Energy (博美) 信号. When in range, compatible smartphones can receive these transmissions to enable a myriad of location-based use cases — from targeted advertising to contact tracing and asset tracking. For any business deploying beacons, ensuring robust beacon security protections are in place is now imperative.
Why beacon security matters
This versatility has fueled rapid global adoption of beacon technology across industries, with smart beacon market size exceeding $127.4 十亿 2032. 然而, with much of this potential though, comes heightened risk around security and misuse of user data. Research suggests pretty much of consumers worry about beacons “tracking your every move” from ambient beacon infrastructure. And these concerns are valid — flaws in beacon infrastructure, 设备, or usage can expose sensitive user and corporate data. For any business deploying beacons, ensuring robust protections are in place is now imperative.
除了, the implementation of beacons is rapidly moving from the introduction phase to serious business involving more money, 第三方, 和大多数人感兴趣的信息.
在物联网设备中, 安全是第二重要的事情. 当信标打开且安全可靠时, 这是它唯一一次有效地完成邻近位置等工作, 通过安全通道传输数据, 或与信标周围的现实世界互动.
How beacons work and security risks
Beacons utilize BLE technology to communicate with nearby smartphones and tablets. They actually transmit in two key modes:
- Advertising Mode: Repeatedly broadcasts a one-way generic packet containing the beacon’s ID only.
- 连接方式: Establishes a two-way, encrypted data connection between two devices.
Most retail and proximity applications rely on advertising mode to detect consumer smartphones. While in range, the beacon identifies the phone but does not access private data. So purely broadcasting beacons cannot “track” users in terms of collecting info. 然而, a beacon network combined with a brand’s mobile app does allow for monitoring customers within stores for analytics or engagement purposes. Users consent to this level of tracking via the app’s terms of service and permissions like enabling Bluetooth. It’s worth noting you can disable location services and Bluetooth on your device to opt out of beacon detection.
Examining a typical beacon ecosystem
While beacons themselves are relatively simple broadcasting devices, the wider ecosystems built around them comprise many interconnected components:
信标生态系统的这些组件因产品的部署而异. Continuous security evaluations of all touchpoints in an ecosystem are key to ensuring defenses stay robust even as new threats emerge.
- Embedded hardware beacon devices – The BLE transmitters, manufactured by companies like MOKOSmart and Kontakt.io. Available for $5 至 $30 每单位. It’s vital to ensure hardware has security protections against code modification or interference attacks.
- 云网络服务 – Centralized repositories where companies manage registered beacons’ metadata (电池寿命, 地点, sensor data etc.) and analyze aggregated telemetry. 妥善保护存储在云中的所有数据非常重要. 也, 确保所有 API 函数都经过适当的身份验证，并且没有允许恶意攻击或访问未经身份验证的数据的漏洞.
- Beacon management software – Admin panels from vendors allowing bulk configuring of beacon settings instead of device-by-device. Must encrypt data communications and storage while also securing over-the-air (OTA) 固件更新.
- End User mobile applications – The apps on consumer smartphones and tablets detecting transmitted beacon signals in proximity and leveraging the location data to enable engagements. Rigorous testing essential around authentication, 数据采集, communication encryption etc.
Common beacon exploits – how beacons are attacked
Every communication in Bluetooth beacon is decoded and happens clearly. 由于信标正迅速成为复杂连接的网关, 有些人越来越多地以非预期的方式使用它们，从而导致攻击. 信标可以通过攻击:
Piggybacking & Cloning Beacons
当黑客窥探信标时，就会发生捎带, capture its UUIDs, 专业, 和未成年人, 并在未经所有者同意的情况下将它们添加到他们的应用程序中. 黑客可以在他们的应用程序中依赖信标的基础设施，因为大多数信标会在几年内传输相同的信号. 尽管与陌生人免费共享信标的基础设施变得不方便, 对客户无不良影响，不损坏应用程序.
每当黑客捕获信标的信息时, 他们还可以轻松克隆信标. 克隆涉及复制信标的配置并将其设置到另一个应用程序, 从而误导用户. 这是毁灭性的，因为黑客控制了信标激活的地点和时间, 但它仍然会触发应用付款.
Hijacking Beacons
信标设置为仅通信但不能加密发送给它们的信息. 因此, 当链接到信标时，黑客会看到您用于连接的密码, 他们可以使用或更改它，使其无法再连接. 这使黑客可以完全控制您的信标，从而使您的整个物联网基础设施处于危险之中.
Cracking Bluetooth Beacons
即使信标免受远程攻击, 有人仍然可以通过从墙上物理移除信标并将其打开来探测信标的内存. 虽然这种攻击发生的概率很低, 如果您有一个控制敏感应用程序的信标，那么保护您的信标仍然很重要.
Addressing each of these common attack entryways requires diligent defense across people, processes and technology — coordinating hardware supply chain security, cloud access governance, beacon configuration guidelines and more.
如何使信标更安全
没有人能够保护信标免受攻击，因为它非常棘手. Although many companies have developed strategies to protect their beacons from piggybacking and chip manufacturers’ defenses that protect a device from cracking, 这些努力没有价值，因为它们没有覆盖整个数据链. 此外, 没有人开发出一种可以保护设备免遭劫持的机制. 由于信标技术非常简单, you can use the following beacon security mechanisms to secure your beacon from all kinds of attacks efficiently.
安全通讯
安全通信可保护信标免遭劫持. It is a beacon cyber protocol that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (博美) 并得到各种设备的支持. 从信标到管理设备的整个通信通道都是完全加密的. 使用安全连接定制的信标不可能被劫持，因为它具有端到端加密，并且不需要在 SDK 和信标之间发送密码. 此安全通信通道通过 SDK 或 Proximity API 进行管理. 具有此通信通道的任何信标都已充分保护免受任何攻击. 这是因为设备受到有效保护，免受黑客可能试图利用的任何恶意攻击.
软件锁
软件锁可以保护我们所有的信标免遭直接破解. 任何访问安装了软件锁的设备内存的尝试都会擦除内存中的所有数据. 尽管简单的信标配置仍然可用, 破解者无法访问任何其他信息. 当您的信标中安装了软件锁时, 您可以放心，您的基础设施是安全的. 原来, 我们曾经在我们所有的信标中都有这项服务, 但我们现在只在客户需要时才这样做，因为有些人自己开发固件.
Using Secure UUID for iBeacon Advertising
安全 UUID 是一种保护信标真实 ID 的安全机制. 它使您可以更好地控制对信标信号的访问. This optional added layer of security is recommended for every beacon deployment.
制造过程中, 可以为每个信标分配唯一的信标密钥. 密钥只能被信标或物联网云平台识别. 加密和解密信标的可见 ID 时, 安全的 UUID 算法使用信标密钥及其最近的轮换时间戳.
由于信标负责加密, 它根据其唯一的旋转间隔创建一个新的可见信标 ID. 信标在 iBeacon 数据包中传输新的可见 ID. 解密发生在解析信标密钥的云中, 从而异常识别信标. 信标和云端之间有一个 iOS/Android 设备. 设备侦听信标的可见 ID 并与云端链接以发现信标的真实 ID.
由于设备仅充当代理, 它无法识别信标键. 因此, 恶意方可以轻松地从您的应用程序中删除密钥，并在将来解密任何信标的可见 ID. 可以通过在云端设置解密来防止这种情况, 尽管安全 UUID 必须具有有效的 Internet 连接才能工作.
保护您的信标的下一步是什么
如果您正在寻找一种方法来保护您的信标免受任何攻击, 那么你来对地方了. MOKOSmart is a global frontrunner with highly quality 蓝牙信标. 随时欢迎访问或联系我们以获得进一步的帮助.
