The 21st century is all about smart technology. Beginning with smartphones, touch screens, digital signages, wearable tech, and whatnot, technology has accelerated at a remarkable pace and is still growing. Wearable technology is one of those trends that has glued many people to it. Smartwatches, smart bands, and many other devices are frequently used by people today.
Along with this, there are many other fresh wearable tech trends that are surfacing, such as smart clothing, footwear, AR wearables, etc. As more people rely on these devices for their daily activities, privacy has become a great concern. So, should you use these devices or not? Let’s read ahead and find out!
What are the best wearable products to purchase online?
We have witnessed the launch of countless wearable devices in the past few years. Moreover, the trend of using these high-tech devices is also increasing rapidly. The only digital wearable device that most people are aware of is a smartwatch. But other than that, there are multiple wearable products that you can purchase online today. Here is a list of the best wearable devices that are popular among users globally.
- Smart clothing is so far the latest addition to digitized wearables. They come with biometric or activity tracking abilities.
- Smart jewelry is ideal for people who wish to keep their fashion statement on point while being in touch with the latest technology. These pieces of jewelry are designed to get connected with your phone and provide you notifications for calls or messages.
- VR Headsets is among the most loved digital wearables as they offer an out-of-the-box virtual reality content experience. They are mostly used in gaming.
- Every fitness lover is a fan of fitness bands as they track their activity and help them gain their desired body shape.
- When we talk about smart wearables, it is impossible not to mention smartwatches. They are one of the best products that you can purchase and connect with your smartphones for easy operation and enhanced application.
Wearables, safety, and privacy
As the world becomes smarter, how does it affect our privacy and security online? In many cases, we might not consider the negative implications these devices have in our lives. For one, with all our information available online, it becomes far more difficult to control it. Additionally, smart gadgets and wearable technologies might not handle the data they collect with utmost care.
Consider the data a smartwatch can collect: the calories you burn, your location, your pulse, etc. It is crucial that such information remains private, meaning that external entities do not get these insights. However, we frequently see unfortunate data-sharing that only contributes to the poor privacy conditions in the digital space. In it, we have little no to privacy. Thus, it is no surprise that people might use Virtual Private Networks to obviate the continuous tracking from marketers, ISPs, governments, or other entities. Smart gadgets and wearables could only contribute to the massive volumes of information digital companies have about us. Hence, when choosing which product to use, always remember to ready privacy policies. They will reveal just how your information will be handled.
How using internet-operated wearables can be a potential threat?
Using digitized wearables is a great option, but they can also be potentially dangerous. That is because they collect all your data when connected to your device. So, you need to be aware while opting for them as no one would like their personal data to get breached. Written below are ways in which internet-operated wearables can be a potential threat to your data.
Lack of encryption
Many wearable devices lack encryption, which can be problematic while storing the data on the manufacturer or service provider servers. Some of the third-party applications ignore the basic security standards and store information that is usually not encrypted. The wearables’ collected data is at a high risk of getting breached if it is stored in a plain, readable form.
Insecure wireless connectivity
Wearable devices are connected to our smartphones via different ways such as Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, etc. Users may keep their Bluetooth ON every time for speedy and easy connectivity.
However, this scenario can also turn against the user as their device can get synced with some other device. This can result in unauthorized use of the phone data without the user knowing it. And many of these wireless communication technologies are not effectively secured to stay protected against focused brute-force attacks.
People usually believe that internet-operated devices are safe against cyber-attacks or data breaching, but the reality is different. It has been found that the rate of data breaching and manipulation has jumped by 200% between 2017 to 2018, and the trend is still going strong.
Easy physical access to data
It can be a real issue for you to store the data on local devices that do not have proper encryption. These wearable devices have no password protection, no PIN, no biometric security, and no user authentication. Hence, this might lead to leakage of sensitive data if the device falls into the wrong hands.
Vulnerabilities and patching
Wearables usually have their own operating application and system. With the increasing popularity of digital wearable devices, they are also becoming a prime target for hackers. Wearables tend to use the same principles as used in smartphones and other devices to remain patched completed to avoid vulnerabilities.