The use of 'Internet of Things' devices, which connect to the internet automatically to send and receive data for health tracking, promise to offer convenience and efficiency for patient data collection and monitoring, but also pose a major cybersecurity risk, according to an FBI public service announcement.
"Deficient security capabilities and difficulties for patching vulnerabilities in these devices, as well as a lack of consumer security awareness, provide cyber actors with opportunities to exploit these devices," the statement reads. "Criminals can use these opportunities to remotely facilitate attacks on other systems, send malicious and spam e-mails, steal personal information, or interfere with physical safety."
An IoT risk could entail any number of things, according to the FBI. This includes cybercriminals capitalizing on security oversights, gaps in technology, unsecured wireless connections or gaining access to unprotected devices used for home healthcare.
Read the organization's recommendations to protect against attacks like these here.