If you’ve made wellness a priority this year, it’s likely that you’ve recently invested in a fitness tracker or a smartwatch to enhance your wellbeing and monitor your health. It is estimated that there are about 224 million smartwatch users worldwide, and 92 percent of smartwatch owners use them to maintain their health and fitness. Many individuals have come to rely on these devices since they’re proven to be useful in tracking activity, diet, calories and sleep, and some models can even be used to monitor cardiovascular health. However, just like smartphones, personal computers, and tablets, these wearable devices can become entry points for a cyber attack since they can connect to Wi-Fi networks.
Getting your medical data stolen can lead to reputation or financial loss, so it’s imperative to develop good cybersecurity habits to prevent hackers from stealing sensitive information. If you wear a smartwatch or a fitness tracker, here are some things that you need to do to safeguard your medical data.
Prevent Unauthorized Access
Medical identity theft has become increasingly common as the Federal Trade Commission estimates that about 250,000 to 500,000 people have been victims of this form of cybercrime since 2003. Personal medical data contains sensitive information such as names, insurance account numbers, and Social Security numbers, which means that anyone who gets access to them can use the info to get medical treatment, medication, or submit claims with insurance providers. Health institutions have become aware of this very serious problem, and it’s why they’ve incorporated endpoint detection and response (EDR) into their systems to monitor for suspicious activity and stop threats before they do damage.
Just like cybersecurity-aware companies and institutions, individuals can protect their endpoints by preventing unauthorized access to their smartwatches and fitness trackers. These devices lack data protection features, so it’s easy for hackers to steal data transmitted between your wearable device and your smartphone or PC. They can also invade your privacy by taking control of the gadget’s camera and built-in microphone, so set a strong and unique password, and use as many locking features as possible. In addition to a PIN or unlock pattern, use your smartwatch’s fingerprint or facial recognition feature to prevent unauthorized access. You may also want to disable your device’s automatic pairing or synching feature to prevent it from pairing with random smartphones, PCs, or tablets.
Take care of your device whenever you’re traveling, and never leave it out in the open in your hotel room, even if you’re just going to have a quick meal in the hotel restaurant or lobby. In case your smartwatch or fitness tracker gets stolen, lock it immediately using your synched devices, or do a remote factory reset to erase all your data from it.
Connect to Secure Wi-Fi Networks Only
Living in a community where there’s lots of places to get free Wi-Fi has its perks, but it also makes your smartwatch and paired devices more vulnerable to phishing and hacking. As much as possible, only connect to secure and trusted Wi-Fi networks. If you receive a text message with a link or a QR code from an unknown number, block it immediately, and never open any links or codes since these could take you to malicious websites that can plant a virus or steal sensitive information.
Never Download Unverified Apps
Smartwatches and fitness trackers come with preloaded apps, but if you need to add more, see to it that you only download from official app stores. Unverified apps often contain malware and viruses that can compromise your wearable device, leading to data loss, malfunction, or unauthorized access to your personal medical data. To know if an app is safe to download, check who made the app, then read its permissions and privacy policy. You’ll also need to read the reviews and see if there are any data or security concerns from those who have previously downloaded the app.
Safeguard Your Smartwatch or Wearable Device
Don’t let cybercriminals take control of your smartwatch or fitness tracker. Consider the cybersecurity tips above to safeguard your wearable device, and prevent hackers from accessing your medical data. Remember to install the latest updates on your wearable, and do a factory reset if you think that your device has been compromised.
This article was written for WHN by Bri Burton, who is a talented wordsmith, an avid blogger, and a health advocate.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
