“Unfortunately, Bluetooth is not secure and is vulnerable to a variety of attack and tracking methods.” The US Navy is recording this in an ongoing tender. It invites companies to apply for contracts to develop alternative wireless data transmission methods. The core application will be the data transmission from body sensors, which fighter pilots in particular wear in the cockpit.
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Such sensors record pulse, ECG, EEG, breathing, eye movements, or neurovascular connections in the brain. The resulting data is currently transmitted via Bluetooth so that it can be monitored in real time as well as recorded for later analysis. Unfortunately, there are attack options such as bluesnarfing (opening ports that are actually closed using external commands to another port), bluejacking (sending unwanted messages), bluebugging (exploiting a backdoor), bluesmacking (denial of service) or car whispering (eavesdropping on the Bluetooth connection of a hands-free device).
Therefore, the continued use of Bluetooth poses an “unacceptable risk” to the US Navy, both from a military perspective and from the perspective of protecting soldiers’ medical data. “The increased computerization of today’s military and evolving IT threats require a more secure way to transmit bodily data.”
Technikneutral
The tender (SBIR N241-D02) lists some possible methods: Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), Ultra Wide Band (UWB), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Commercial Encrypted Wireless Links (CEWL), Miniature Encrypted Wireless Links (MWEL). However, the military is also expressly open to other procedures. Crucial technical parameters are size, weight, energy consumption, wireless transmission over at least 240 meters (equivalent to Bluetooth 5.0), no interference with other devices worn on the body, and battery life. Cables are frowned upon because they pose the risk of tangling. Possible secondary use later for civilian purposes would be a bonus.
Applicants must show that they have already tested and documented the scientific and technical value of their method and its feasibility. The minimum criterion is the reliable transmission of the pulse beat; the aim is to transmit a complete 60-heart electrocardiogram. Further possibilities are welcome, but it is not about developing new sensors, but only about new transmission methods of body sensor data.
Anyone who receives a contract must work on developing a functioning prototype including experiments with human test subjects. Dongles for connecting to existing body sensors are expressly welcome, especially since it can be difficult to modify existing sensors. The deadline for submissions is February 7, 2024.
In a later phase of development, the goal will be to create devices that can withstand the demanding conditions of combat operations in combat aircraft or on Navy ships for a long time and at the same time are suitable for commercial use. In addition to ongoing tremors, challenges will include humid and saline environments, unusual air pressures and temperatures, and air enriched with additional oxygen.
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