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Gartner Says 'Supranet' Will Advance Bluetooth Technology
But Device Vendors Must First Add Security
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STAMFORD, Conn., September 11, 2000 — Gartner Group, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB) calls it the Supranet: the wireless connection of data and transactions between the hard-wire Internet, wireless devices such as phones and handhelds, and the "papernet" -- the physical world of business cards, legal documents and tangible objects. The three dimensions and the upcoming seamless connection of the dimensions will deliver a whole host of new technologies. One of the first integral technologies tied to the Supranet, according to Gartner, is Bluetooth.
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According to Gartner, by 2004, 70 percent of new cell phones and 40 percent of new personal digital assistants will use wireless technology for direct access to Web content and enterprise networks. Gartner says that Bluetooth is set to become a defining force in portable devices, but products using Bluetooth must develop with security in mind.
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Bluetooth enables devices to transmit over wireless links. According to Gartner, the biggest security risk is with devices that simply fail to implement the security protocols. Therefore, vendors of devices such as portable and handheld computers and notebooks must ensure that their implementations are secure, and should specify and test original equipment manufacturer peripherals to require that basic security be implemented. Otherwise, they run the risk of users unintentionally exposing access and data to unauthorized third parties.
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A secondary risk is that the Bluetooth security protocols can be implemented in an insecure fashion if the designer simply follows the specification without understanding its details.
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"Vendors building these systems must add in security now or risk creating a Supranet environment that is untrustworthy for business and consumer use," said Martin Reynolds, Gartner vice president and research fellow. "Using Bluetooth on unsecured devices could be as dangerous as giving your credit card number out in a chat room or posting your social security number to a Web site. Security is about technology reassuring who you are dealing with and about technology creating an environment of confidence so that transmissions and transactions can speed over the Supranet."
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Further analysis on Bluetooth security is available in the document "Bluetooth Security: Handle with Caution." This Research Brief examines Bluetooth's security architecture and identifies areas in which system and component manufacturers must proceed with caution. To purchase this report, please call 800-419-DATA or 408-468-8009.
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Additional analysis on the wireless industry will be presented during Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo 2000, October 16-20, 2000, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This event is the IT industry's largest and most strategic conference, and provides business leaders with a look at the future of IT. Some of the speakers at this year's event include Hewlett-Packard's chairman and CEO, Carly Fiorina; Sun Microsystems' chairman and CEO, Scott McNealy; and Microsoft's president and CEO, Steve Ballmer. To register for Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo 2000, please call 1-800-778-1997 or 1-203-316-6757, or go to www.gartner.com/symposium. Members of the media can register by contacting Lisette Kwong at 1-212-320-2330 or lkwong@tsicomm.com.
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