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CHAPTER 7
Connection Security
Bluetooth technology utilizes passkey exchange to enhance connection security.
Passkeys
Some remote devices (particularly mobile phones) require you to enter a passkey
in order to connect to the device. A passkey is a unique identifier that enables
secure data exchange between the connected devices.
If a device requires you to enter a passkey, you will be prompted to enter the
passkey when you attempt to connect with the device. When you tap OK, the
passkey is sent to the remote device. One of the following will occur:
■
Passkey authentication succeeds:
Connection is made to the remote device.
■
Passkey authentication fails:
You must retry to connect to the device.
See
and
for descriptions of when you may be asked to enter a
passkey when connecting with a remote device.
Trusted pairs
When you exchange passkeys with another device, you form a trusted pair with
that device. Any time you connect with another device, the application through
which you are connecting may ask you to form a trusted pair.
Bluetooth technology provides 128-bit encryption for trusted pairs that individual
applications may use to secure transmissions between the trusted pair devices.
This encryption is in addition to any encryption that the application itself may
provide with regard to that transmission.
When you create a trusted pair with a device, you can connect to that device at any
time in the future without entering a passkey.
