The security of wearable fitness trackers could be improved to better protect users personal data, a study suggests.Vulnerabilities in the devices which track heart rate, steps taken and calories burned could threaten the privacy and security of the data they record, scientists say.Exploiting security weak spots in the communication procedures of some gadgets could allow unauthorised sharing of personal data with third parties. These include online retailers and marketing agencies, the team says.Such frailties could also be targeted to create fake health records. By sending insurance companies false activity data, fraudsters could obtain cheaper cover from insurers that reward physical activity with lower premiums, researchers say.A team at the University of Edinburgh carried out an in-depth security analysis of two popular models of wearable fitness trackers made by Fitbit.The researchers discovered a way of intercepting messages transmitted between fitness trackers and cloud servers where data is sent for analysis. This allowed them to access personal information and create false activity records.

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