{"id":41395,"date":"2022-02-25T09:16:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T17:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=41395"},"modified":"2024-07-09T22:06:01","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T05:06:01","slug":"hacking-wearable-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/hacking-wearable-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wearable Future Is Hackable. Here\u2019s What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick mental math challenge: How many Apple Watches can you buy with $118 billion dollars? If you guessed around 296 million watches congrats, you\u2019re smarter than the writer of this blog! We had to use a calculator. The point is that\u2019s the predicted size of the US wearable market by 2028 according to a recent report. That means for as much wearable tech as we have in our lives already, even more, is on the way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you own a piece of wearable tech it\u2019s easy to understand why it\u2019s so popular. After all, it can track our fitness, provide contextual help in daily life, and, in the case of hearing aids, even do cool things like sync with Bluetooth. As VR and AR gains a foothold who knows what other incredible tech might be headed our way by 2028? However<\/span>\u00a0wearable tech also comes with certain risks. The most prominent: cybercriminals potentially gaining access to your data.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can criminals gain access to your wearable data?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

The weakest link in the wearables space is your mobile phone, not the actual wearable device itself. That\u2019s because wearables tend to link to your mobile device over a short-range wireless spectrum known as \u201cBluetooth.\u201d This spectrum is used to send and receive data between your wearable device and your mobile. That makes your mobile a prime target for hackers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most commonly, hackers gain access to the data on your mobile through\u00a0<\/span>malware<\/span><\/a>-laden apps. These apps are oftentimes designed to look like popular apps, but with enough differences that they don\u2019t flag copyright suspicion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are they doing with my wearable data?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Hackers can use these malicious apps to do a variety of things from making phone calls without your permission, sending and receiving texts, and <\/span>extracting personal information<\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/a>all potentially without your knowledge. They can also, with the help of your wearable, track your location through GPS and record any health issues you\u2019ve entered into your wearable. The point is: once they have permissions to your mobile device, they have a lot of control and a lot of resources.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The hacker can then use this data to conduct varying forms of fraud. Need a special prescription from your doctor that happens to sell well on the black market? Well, so does the hacker. Going out for a jog in the morning? Good information for a burglar to know. These personal details just scratch the surface of information available for the taking on your mobile devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond wearables and into the internet of things<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

These types of threats aren\u2019t limited to wearables, however. The <\/span>Internet of Things<\/span><\/a>\u2014the phenomenon of devices connected to the Internet for analysis and optimization\u2014encompasses all sorts of other electronic devices such as washing machines and refrigerators that can put your data at risk as well. But these\u00a0<\/span>life-changing devices<\/span>\u00a0can be secured through education and industry standards. Two things\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019re working on<\/span>\u00a0day and night.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defend your wearables and your personal information<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n