Experts Raise Security, Privacy Concerns in Health and Fertility Apps
IoT health and wellness apps and devices are a potential minefield of security issues.
Researchers from several universities in the UK and Europe are about to publish research examining a worrying lack of security and privacy features in prominent apps and IoT devices designed to promote health and wellbeing among women.
According to researchers from Royal Holloway, the University of London, the University of Newcastle, the University of London and ETH Zurich, “femtech” (the umbrella term for these internet-connected apps and devices) is capable of collecting vast amounts of personal data. collects large amounts of data. of data, including fertility and health data, and period-related data.
However, the sector is poorly regulated across Europe and the UK despite being big business. The global femtech market is expected to be worth more than $75 billion by 2025 and encompasses products such as fertility tracking apps, smart bottles, sex toys and digital pill organizers.
What’s worse, hackers are actively targeting the sector to mine its vast wealth of data.
“We have identified multiple threat actors interested in femtech data, such as fertility and sex information,” said Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad in an article written by Royal Holloway.
“We have been conducting security and privacy research on this topic since 2019. In addition to our systems studies, our user studies also highlight that end users are really concerned about their intimate and sensitive data being handled by femtech products ” Mehrnezhad said.
“We constantly share the results of our research with the industry and related regulatory bodies, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office. We hope to see better collaborative efforts among stakeholders to enable citizens to use femtech solutions to improve the quality of their lives without any risk or fear.”
Professor Mike Catt, of Newcastle University, is urging regulators to “update and strengthen” their guidance on femtech products to keep the sector and its customers safe.
“Some specific permissions, such as access to system settings and other accounts on the device, also impose security and privacy risks. Access to mobile phone sensors can also be used to violate user privacy,” Professor Catt said. “Users deserve better protection, especially when it comes to sensitive personal health and gender data.”
