- Kamala Harris says she will not use wireless headphones for security reasons
- Vulnerabilities have been found in many renowned products
- The risk of security is very very low, but it is not zero
Everyone loves wireless headphones – but maybe not everyone should. This is what Kamala Harris suggests, and she knows more than most of us: speaking to Stephen Colbert last week, she explained why her preference for wireless earphones was not because she is old -fashioned.
“I know I was teasing on this subject,” she said. “But I like these types of cobblestones that have [a cable] Because I sat on the Senate intelligence committee. “”
As she explained: “I was in classified briefings and I tell you, don’t be on the train using your ears [she meant AirPods here] Think that someone cannot listen to your conversation. “”
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It is not the territory of the tin hat
With a few exceptions, most wireless headphones connect via Bluetooth – and earlier this year, German IT security analysts have identified vulnerabilities in a whole series of headphones of very big names, including Bose, Jabra, Jbl, Marshall and Sony. The manufacturer of the chip system that these companies have been using since the update of his SDK to cope with the problem, although we would be stupid to assume that it is the only one.
The presence of vulnerability in a chip does not mean that it has been or will be exploited. But it is a possibility. Last year, Blusy demonstrated how to benefit from such vulnerability to record audio from “a particular high -end helmet”. And this year, it appeared that a Bluetooth vulnerability could make it possible to listen to calls by car.
The risks of wireless devices are not only interception. For example, the British Ministry of Justice notes that Bluetooth devices can be used to follow someone’s location. It also indicates to the staff that although Bluetooth is good for people working with “official” level material, it may not be sure enough for “an official or sensitive or higher material”.
The probability that the average pair of headphones will be intercepted by anyone who has disappeared. And this is probably as well, because the 3.5 mm audio plugs also disappear – although you can always use a USB -C adapter or a DAC to go wired. But most of the best headphones today are wireless, especially to wear outside – and doubly if you want an active noise cancellation. An anchor headphones are almost extinguished, frustrating for safety
For the average listener like you or me, the risk of security is practically zero. But if, like Kamala Harris, you don’t have exactly an average job, there are a lot of people ready to invest serious time, talent and technology to try to listen to your communications. And this could mean that the best wired headphones are the intelligent movement – going from wireless wire to be reckless.
