In what security mode are Bluetooth devices considered promiscuous?

• A. Security Mode 1 is non-secure
• B. Security Mode 2 is non-secure
• C. Security Mode 3 is non-secure
• D. Security Mode 4 is non-secure

Answer: (A)

Promiscuous behavior means there’s no security protection at all—the device can be discovered and connected without any authentication or encryption. In Bluetooth, that is Security Mode 1, which is non-secure. Because there’s no pairing, no encryption, and no authentication, any nearby device can interact with it, making it effectively promiscuous. The other modes add layers of security (service-level or link-level) or use Secure Simple Pairing, which prevents this open, all-access behavior.