Cybersecurity in Fitness Devices-A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Wearable devices are becoming increasingly popular, with users adopting them for a wide range of purposes. For example, fitness equipment can now perform new functions such as shopping or purchasing train tickets using contactless payments. Furthermore, fitness trackers gather a variety of personal data, including body temperature, pulse rate, eating habits, body weight, steps, distance travelled, calories burned, and sleep stage. Although these devices can be helpful to customers, more and more publications are warning about the cybersecurity threats they pose and the potential for them to be hijacked and used as launching grounds for other systems. Furthermore, because of their wireless broadcasts, these devices might be vulnerable to a malicious attack, exposing the data they gather. In addition, these devices are vulnerable due to a lack of authentication, Bluetooth connection difficulties, location monitoring, and third-party vulnerabilities. The purpose of this article is to offer consumers cybersecurity recommendations so that they may take precautions when using fitness devices.