Millions of people around the world actively record aspects of their lives, ranging from physical activity and sleep to mood and mental health. This activity, known as Quantified Self (or Life Logging), was analyzed by Symantec and resulted in a study that reveals that one in five self-monitoring devices transmits user-generated data without encrypting the information, a fact that may have major implications for individual privacy and security.
The research also demonstrates the potential privacy risks posed by tracking devices and provides data for consumers to protect themselves, as well as information about the future of self-monitoring. The highlights are:
• All hardware-based devices examined proved to be 100% traceable from a single device.
• One in five monitoring applications transmits user-generated data (names, email address and password) without encryption.
• Information collected on self-monitoring devices can have huge implications for privacy and security – including identity theft, profiling, stalking, extortion, and corporate use/misuse.
• Devices that store information in the cloud have been found to put user privacy at greatest risk. In addition, half of the monitoring applications (52%) examined did not have privacy policies available to users.
To reduce and prevent the exposure of privacy devices, Symantec offers the following security tips:
• Use a screen lock or password to prevent unauthorized access to your device
• Do not use the same username and password on different sites and use strong passwords
• Turn off Bluetooth when not needed
• Be careful when using social sharing features
• Avoid sharing location details on social networks
• Read and understand the apps and services privacy policy
• Install app and OS updates when available
• Use a security solution on the device
• Use full device encryption if available
For more information access www.symantec.com.
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