Wearable Devices for Enhanced Security

What are Wearable Devices for Enhanced Security Management?

Wearables are small electronic devices, often comprising one or more sensors and having computational capability. Devices?such as?wrist?watches,?pens, and?glasses?with installed?cameras are?now available?at cheap?prices for user to purchase to monitor or securing themselves. The many countries at?this?period?is?faced?with?a?lot?of kidnapping activities in schools, homes and abduction for the?purpose?of?ransomed?collection?and?other?illegal activities?necessitate these?reviews. The success of the wearable technology in medical uses prompted the research into application into security uses.

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Wearable devices for enhanced security management refer to electronic devices that can be worn on the body to provide additional security features and management capabilities. These devices leverage technology to enhance personal safety, access control, and monitoring in various contexts. Here are some examples of wearable devices used for enhanced security management:

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Smartwatches: Smartwatches equipped with biometric sensors, such as fingerprint scanners or heart rate monitors, can be used for authentication and access control. They can also receive security alerts and notifications, allowing users to stay informed about potential threats or breaches.

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GPS Tracking Devices: Wearable GPS tracking devices are often used for personal safety and security management. These devices can be worn as wristbands or attached to clothing or accessories, enabling real-time tracking and location monitoring. They are commonly used in applications like lone worker protection, child safety, and asset tracking.

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Body Cameras: Body cameras worn by security personnel or law enforcement officers are designed to record audio and video footage of their surroundings. These devices help in documenting incidents, providing evidence, and ensuring accountability. Body cameras often have features like live streaming and remote access for centralized monitoring and management.

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Smart Access Control Badges: Wearable access control badges, such as RFID or NFC-enabled wristbands or badges, provide secure and convenient entry to restricted areas. They can be used in corporate environments, events, and other settings where controlled access is required. These badges can store encrypted credentials and can be easily managed and deactivated if lost or stolen.

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Biometric Wearables: Biometric wearables incorporate features like fingerprint scanners, iris scanners, or facial recognition technology to authenticate the user's identity. These devices provide an additional layer of security beyond traditional passwords or access cards, making them suitable for applications like secure facility access, data protection, or financial transactions.

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Panic Buttons/Alert Systems: Wearable panic buttons or alert systems can be worn as bracelets, pendants, or discreet devices. These devices allow users to quickly send distress signals or notifications to designated contacts or security personnel in case of an emergency or threat.

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Smart Helmets or Safety Gear: In specific industries like construction, mining, or manufacturing, wearable devices such as smart helmets or safety gear may be used to enhance security and safety management. These devices can include built-in sensors to detect hazardous conditions, monitor vital signs, or provide real-time communication capabilities to mitigate risks and respond effectively to emergencies.

?Good or Bad - Seven Ways Wearable Tech Will Change our lives

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Last year mobile internet traffic overtook desktop PC-generated traffic for the first time. But if the mobile device has only just won unchallenged ascendancy over the ‘immobile’ computer then a new epoch is suddenly upon us: wearables. Its clear wearables could have a wide range of applications – check out this innovation for live events for example – some of which are surely yet to occur to anyone. But what will their proliferation mean for the security industry?

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1.???????????Increase in radio testing / toolkits

The first way I see wearables changing the security industry is the introduction of new tools and techniques for computer security researchers and hackers. Wearables may be the cause of a renewed interest in attacking devices with radio transceivers and wireless protocols.

Like most technologies, as soon as wearables hit the tipping point they’ll become interesting targets for cyber criminals and the radio link will often be the path of least resistance. Coupled with the falling cost of ‘software-defined radio’, it’s feasible that we’ll start to find more vulnerabilities in common radio-based protocols such as NFC, Zigbee or Bluetooth Low Energy.

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This could have a knock-on effect on non-wearable devices which use the same radio technology, such as wireless payment systems, wireless alarms and radio controlled locks.

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2.???????????Mobile Payment Malware

Mobile payments may see an increase in mobile malware. Consumers are starting to use mobile devices for payments and with big names like Google, Apple and Paypal behind them, merchants are starting to accept these types of transactions.

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In the past, mobile malware has often not given the attention it deserves due to perceived lack of sensitive data stored on a phone (compared to a PC). With wearables acting as our digital wallets, malware suddenly has a high impact target. The introduction of wearables for payments could see an increase in malware attacking either wearables themselves, or the phones used to manage them.

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3.???????????Identification and Access Control

We are already seeing wearables used for identification. Recently, the NFC ring was successfully funded on Kickstarter. This ring uses an embedded NFC chip which is used to identify an individual and can be used for Access Control Systems and authentication for smart phones, computers and locks.

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As wearables become more advanced, it may be possible to embed biometric data into them, using things like gait or voice. This could have implications in many areas; including payments and physical security. A lost or stolen wearable device would be like losing the keys to your kingdom.

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4.??????????? Corporate and Sensitive Environments?

In corporate/secure environments, wearables may pose unseen threats by allowing users to record video and audio of sensitive information. MDM solutions are available to manage mobile devices in office with a BYOD policy, however this does not necessarily translate to wearable technology.

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For example, current MDM solutions do not support Android Wear, although Android Wear can still receive sensitive information stored on the phone, such as email, SMS and information about phone calls.

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Additionally, in sensitive environments, there may be policy in place to restrict smart phones but often these will not cover wearables. Until company policy is changed to cover smart devices, it should be understood that these devices in corporate environments can pose significant risks.

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5.???????????Privacy

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Privacy needs to be considered when discussing wearable technology. Wearables such as Google Glass have been designed to allow its users to record the world around them, and although this has some benefits, it certainly comes as at a price.

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Not everyone is happy with the idea of the potential for every interaction to be recorded and Google Glass has been the cause of physical attacks in the past. Some wearables require “learning” about the life and habits of the user. In order to do this, information about friends, family, work and home locations and searches are stored and analysed to provide personalised results. This means information about usage is sent to online services, sometimes without the user necessarily realising it’s happening. Wearable technology and privacy go hand in hand. The increase of wearables will continue to transform the security industry in the future so it is essential to get the right privacy processes in place.

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Ensuring that you set up the correct parameters, sharing options and data ownership settings initially will result in a safe, reliable result. Suffice to say in a world of ever smaller and more connected technologies, we can utilise wearables to not only simplify our long list of security tasks, but also make our environments safer.

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6.???????????Monitoring capabilities

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Monitoring capabilities are the key element to security solutions. Wearables can extract additional information about the user and the environment they are in, resulting in improved knowledge. Customizing the technology to your needs will ensure optimum security and potentially offer a new level of security that you haven’t had before.

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Being able to monitor this data will allow you to understand and evaluate surveillance more effectively. With wearable technology you will be able to see exactly where all of your employees are within the building and even outside of the building. You will be able to locate all members of the public within a public event and therefore improve your levels of surveillance.

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7.???????????Real-time information

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It’s real time information like this that will really help to transform the security industry as we know it. No longer will you solely rely on video surveillance, instead you will have the opportunity to track individuals to their exact location at any given time.

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Information about a person’s parameters will be collected and transmitted to the cloud enabling instant decisions to be made. Implementing systems such as this will ensure greater accuracy and faster reaction times. Preventative security will also be improved. Geo-fencing has been widely used among the Healthcare industries to ensure safety and security of elderly patients.

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As wearable technology develops this will help to determine exactly who has stepped outside of the geo-fenced area, where they live and information about their healthcare needs. Information like this will be crucial to offering a higher level of security.

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Innovations in electronic health care are improving the participation of both doctors and patients in modern healthcare systems. Advancing wearable devices (WDs) aid physicians in knowing physiological parameters of and managing their patients in real time, based on transmitted data. Despite developments in monitoring devices and the wearable industry, the widespread use of this technology in medical practice remains limited. These WDs are able to measure vital signs, such as body and skin temperature, heart rate, arterial blood pressure, respiration rate, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and electroencephalograms (EEGs), and monitor physical activity. Awareness of health information to a patient improves the quality of life and patient outcomes because they are more likely to get involved in healthy behavioral changes. There are several fitness trackers such as Apple watch, FitBit Charge 2, Garmin Vivosmart HR+, Tom Tom Spark 3 Smartwatch, etc. which are gaining popularity among the younger generation.

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How Wearable Devices will change the security profession

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Wearable devices have the potential to significantly impact the security profession in various ways. Here are some ways in which wearable devices could change the security profession:

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Enhanced Surveillance: Wearable devices, such as body cameras or smart glasses, can provide security personnel with real-time video and audio feeds, enabling them to monitor and record incidents more effectively. This can improve situational awareness, provide evidence for investigations, and enhance accountability.

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Biometric Authentication: Wearable devices can incorporate biometric sensors, such as fingerprint scanners or facial recognition cameras, to provide secure access control. Security professionals can use these devices to verify their identities, granting them access to restricted areas or sensitive information.

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Health and Safety Monitoring: Wearable devices can monitor the health and safety of security personnel in real-time. For example, smartwatches can track heart rate, body temperature, and stress levels. If an officer is in distress or encounters a potentially hazardous situation, the device can alert supervisors or automatically trigger emergency protocols.

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Communication and Coordination: Wearable devices can enhance communication and coordination among security teams. For instance, smartwatches or earpieces can facilitate instant messaging, voice communication, and location sharing, allowing security personnel to respond quickly to incidents and collaborate effectively.

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Training and Education: Wearable devices can be used for training security personnel. Virtual reality headsets, for example, can simulate real-life scenarios and provide interactive training experiences. These devices can help improve decision-making skills, situational awareness, and response capabilities in a safe and controlled environment.

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Data Collection and Analysis: Wearable devices can gather vast amounts of data, such as patrol routes, incident reports, or environmental conditions. This data can be analyzed to identify patterns, improve security strategies, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

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Personal Safety and Emergency Response: Wearable devices can be equipped with panic buttons or distress signals that security professionals can activate in case of emergencies. These devices can automatically notify central command centers or summon assistance, ensuring a swift response to critical situations.

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Compliance and Audit Trail: Wearable devices can help maintain compliance with regulations and standards by providing an audit trail of security activities. Data captured by these devices can be securely stored and used as evidence to demonstrate adherence to protocols or regulatory requirements.

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Conclusion

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It's worth noting that the availability and specific features of wearable security devices can vary based on manufacturers, industry requirements, and technological advancements. Therefore, it's always recommended to research and consult with experts or providers to determine the most suitable wearable devices for a particular security management scenario.

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While wearable devices offer numerous benefits, it is crucial to address privacy concerns associated with data collection and storage. Organizations must establish clear policies and guidelines to ensure the responsible use of wearable technology in the security profession while safeguarding individual privacy rights. As the world of wearable technology develops, various industries are adapting to the changes and using it to transform their operations.

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The health and fitness industry, motoring and retail industry are already embracing the opportunities of this emerging breed of tech and as time goes on more sectors will reap the rewards. Drawing on real-time data the security industry is one that really has the potential to benefit!