Wearable users tracked with Raspberry Pi

[Maestro]

1 August 2014 Last updated at 10:30 GMT

Wearable users tracked with Raspberry Pi

 

People who use wearable gadgets to monitor their health or activity can be tracked with only $70 (£40) of hardware, research suggests.

 

The work, carried out by security firm Symantec, used a Raspberry Pi computer to grab data broadcast by the gadgets.

 

The snooping Pi was taken to parks and sporting events where it was able to pick out individuals in the crowds.

 

Symantec said makers of wearables need to do a better job of protecting privacy and handling data they gather.

 

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28602997

[RichCor]

"The snooping Pi was taken to parks and sporting events where it was able to pick out individuals in the crowds. [...] makers of wearables need to do a better job of protecting privacy and handling data they gather."

 

This is like saying' "I was able to identify all the people wearing colored shirts because they were wearing colored shirts, and wearable makers need to do a better job of creating non-distinct colored shirts."  Ugh!

 

Yes, of course all DATA broadcasting devices broadcast a device ID and can be picked out in a crowd -- that's why it has a unique ID. Yea, sure, encrypt the data. What do they want, encrypted handshaking?

 

 

OK, here you go: If you don't want to be picked out in a crowd, DON'T carry an electronic device! Or wear distinctive clothes. And stop buying Symantec software, they're spying on you!

 

Edited August 3, 2014 by RichCor