Wearables will bring new security risks

Google Glass, as a new type of smart device, brings unlimited possibilities and brings many new problems. Recently, Google has issued two bans in succession. One is to ban face recognition applications and the other is to ban pornography. This shows that Google is very concerned about the possibility of abuse of Glass. However, if Google Glass is really popular, its control is not so easy. One of the biggest concerns about Google Glass is the privacy issue because it can take pictures at any time. However, for security experts, this is just one aspect of the Google Glass security problem. Recently, the Slashgear website interviewed Marc Rogers, chief security researcher at Lookout Mobile Security, discussing the risks associated with wearable devices.

In the eyes of Marc Rogers, candid shooting is only a small aspect of the security risks brought by Glass. He revealed that Lookout has partnered with Google to solve a security breach. However, he did not mention specific details.

He said that one of the reasons leading to the Glass vulnerabilities is the mentality of users and developers. They see it as something like a smartphone. But in reality, the use of Google Glass is a completely different scenario and the abuse of it is very different. Google Glass is always in front of your eyes, keeping data connections at all times, and it is difficult to determine if it is in use, all of which pose new risks. "I can wear Glass where people don't look for computers, which means I can do something interesting," Marc Rogers said.

He gave an example. The earliest wearable computer appeared in 1960 and was co-manufactured by mathematicians Edward O. Thorp and Claude Shannon, and it has the size of a cigarette box. Edward O. Thorp is a casino master and enters the Blackjack Hall of Fame. In Los Angeles casinos, they used a wearable computer for the first time to play roulette. This device can predict the placement of the ball, increasing the odds of winning by 44%.

“Who knows what Glass can do. Industrial espionage, confirming loopholes in buildings, and avoiding monitoring points,” he enumerated, “it's easy to modify Glass to let it identify all the security cameras and plan a shopping mall for you. Roads, and will not be recorded to."

Marc Rogers suggested that companies or organizations should be open minded about the devices people use, and use various methods to ensure information security. "If you run an organization that puts a lot of emphasis on data security, you have to use Glass as a risk. I know that such a company will destroy the company's camera to buy a mobile phone, because it is to ensure that the camera with a camera can not take confidential files The most effective way.” Of course, gorgeous cameras may not be feasible for future wearable devices. For the enterprise, it is necessary to enhance the development of safety awareness. "Ensure everyone understands. If you see similar equipment, report it as suspicious behavior and stop it. You have a surveillance camera to detect it, maybe there is Software to confirm the person wearing it."

From the current situation, people generally lack attention to security issues on mobile devices. Lookout collaborates with operators in North America and Europe to pre-install security software on mobile phones. However, more handsets lack security software and user security awareness is weak. The same is true for wearable devices. Although wearable devices such as Google Glass are not yet popular, we should realize that they will come sooner or later and that their security issues cannot be ignored.

"At the moment, there is no answer," Rogers concluded. "But it is something we must think about."