Safer Internet Day will be marked this week all over the globe. The campaign first started back in 2004 and since then it has been observed every February. The main purpose of this day is to promote a safer, as well as a more responsive use of online technology. The initiative focuses particularly on kids by trying to educate them on the different types of online dangers.
Over the past few years, the campaign has been paying extra attention to the web dangers for mobile users. This year, it also expected to cover one more recent technology sector – wearable devices.
As more and more people are interested in products like fitness bands, smart watches and wearable health monitors, cyber criminals will also develop a greater interest into this kind of technology. To be one step ahead of them, take the time and educate yourselves on the biggest online security threats for wearables users.
Extensive Guide to Your Daily Habits
Most wearable devices can track when and how long you sleep, workout and etc. In addition to that, they are designed to be worn all the time. Therefore, they will capture all of your activity and send it online in a digital form. For cybercriminals and burglars that is like an extensive guide to their next victim. Even more concerning is the fact that wearables also have GPS functionality that will allow them to track your location in real time.
Less Sophisticated Security Functionality
As one of the newest products on the consumer’s technology market, the security software available on wearable devices (if any) is still in its very early stages. In other words, they are naturally more vulnerable to online threats.
Video Journal
Wearable gadgets, like Autographer and Narrative Clip, have one main feature – to film or photograph every minute of the wearer’s life. That sound fascinating, but all of the recorded content is not stored on the devices because they are too small and offer a very limited storage space. That is why these snaps and videos are send to the web, where the user can later access it. That means that they function as a video journal of a person’s life. The problem is not all of these gadgets explicitly explain this part of the process.
Health Threat
Health-focuses wearables are amazing. Discover a few here. They can monitor your blood pressure, measure your blood sugar, heart rate and remind you to take your medicines. These are all useful features that certainly offer wearables a bright future. Nevertheless, like all smart devices, wearables can also be hacked. But unlike other computer gadgets, a hacked wearable can threaten not only one’s privacy, banking information or device, but also one’s health. Imagine that you rely on your smartwatch to alarm you whenever your blood sugar goes out of the norm. What would happen if this feature of the gadget is manipulated by a cyber criminal?
Even though the reports of hacked wearable computers are still rare, cybercriminals will eventually develop an interest in them. That happened in the past with all web-connected devices. To keep yourself protected, make sure you invest in a device that comes with a security software or that allows users to install such. In addition, learn when and how the product connects to the internet and where it stores your information. Get a wearable device that has biometric security and not passwords.
