Wearable Technology and Its Potential for Hacking
From tracking a run to regulating an irregular heartbeat, wearable technology has many amazing uses. It is estimated that consumers will spend $52 billion on wearable technology in 2020, 27% more than the approximate $41 billion spent in the category in 2019. By that estimation, you might be wearing one right now. From fitness bands to smartwatches, wearable tech is getting more popular and advanced by the day.
So, what does this mean for data security? Since wearables aren’t as well protected as our phones and tablets, they may present an easy in for hackers to access your private information. Consider this? TechCrunch reports that data collected and stored on a mobile device can be worth 10 times the value of a credit card on the black market. If hackers can get this wealth of highly valuable and sought-after information through your wearable, it can be bad news.
Let’s look at a few of the potential threats currently associated with wearable technology.
Data Manipulation. University students found the possibility of acoustic attack on sensors such as those on wearable fitness tracker devices. This means that certain sounds within range of a wearable device can skew the data values it collects, compromising accuracy.
Their research concluded that specific frequencies, which were able to be “hidden” within music played from a device like a smartphone, had the power to manipulate sensors resulting in inaccurate output for the users. While this is troubling, the overall accuracy of data collected by an individual may not be the biggest risk when it comes to the security of wearable technology.
Location Tracking. Imagine if your current location was public knowledge. That would mean anyone and everyone could monitor where you go, how long you stay, and if you are home or not. Often wearable devices are constantly using GPS to track your location along with your activity. Your location can give a lot of insight into your private life, such as who you are spending time with and information about your health. If the security of a wearable device is compromised, this information could be used without your consent.
Inadequate Security. By nature, wearables aren’t as secure as smartphones when it comes to protecting data. There is an enormous amount of information on our phones, and wearable technology is simply another gateway for hackers to gain access. Your private conversations, your search history, where you’ve been, your financial information? all that and more becomes vulnerable to malware and other threats through your phone’s communication with your wearable devices. In addition, if you are using your phone for work, your company’s sensitive data could be compromised by an unsecured connection with a wearable device.
With all these potential risks, is it best to just stop using wearables altogether? I don’t think that’s necessary, but a few extra precautions can never hurt. The best way to ensure a more secure device is to utilize all available security and authentication methods offered. Remember, your devices are only as secure as your settings.
Originally posted on BrettBeveridge.com