Can your smartwatch get hacked? Research exhibits what data is in danger

Smartwatches may be good for monitoring steps and coronary heart charges, however they’ll additionally supply hackers a wealth of private data to take advantage of, in accordance with a brand new Charles Darwin College (CDU) research.

The paper, “Vulnerability Evaluation and Exploitation Assaults on Good Wearable Gadgets” was revealed as a part of the 2024 2nd Worldwide Convention on Development in Computation & Pc Applied sciences (InCACCT).

Researchers within the research hacked into a wide range of sensible wearable units, valued between $25 and $150, to know the vulnerabilities of this know-how and what data could be accessed and exploited.

These units enable individuals to trace their well being, monitor their health, conduct medical checks and extra, however usually use Bluetooth Low Vitality (BLE) know-how, which sacrifices safety for low vitality consumption.

Research supervisor Dr. Bharanidharan Shanmugan, who’s a Lecturer in Info Expertise at CDU’s College of Science and Expertise, stated researchers have been in a position to connect with the units and acquire entry to information and had the flexibility to govern it.

“We might convey a pulse down or up, we might see the place an individual has gone, the place they’ve frolicked and different medical readings like heartbeat, blood stress and ECG readings,” Dr. Shanmugan stated.

“This information could be pushed to medical firms, used for focused advertising and marketing, or can be utilized to develop a profile on a consumer.”

Dr. Shanmugan stated given the rising recognition of sensible wearable BLE units, producers wanted to make it a precedence to implement strong safety mechanisms.

“The assertion that smartwatch makers will not be taking safety severely is a major concern,” Dr. Shanmugan stated.

“If this pattern persists, it might result in a cascade of destructive penalties for each people and society. Potential penalties are elevated identification theft and monetary loss, as any breach might expose personally identifiable data to cybercriminals, resulting in identification theft, monetary fraud and unauthorized entry.

“There’s well being information violation. If the info fall into fallacious palms, it might be used for blackmail and even bodily hurt, particularly for elders, and there is company espionage. Compromised units can enable rivals or cybercriminals to steal precious mental property. An enormous quantity of lawsuits stemming from these incidents might probably bankrupt the corporate.”

The research was carried out with Christ Academy Institute for Superior Research in Bengaluru, India.