The 29-buck gadgets with power to stalk – what issues do wearables such as AirTags and other smart gadgets have?

Vladimir Dashchenko, Security Evangelist at Kaspersky
Following the news of women suing Apple over AirTag stalking, Kaspersky’s expert provides wider context on wearables and smart device privacy issues, and shares his safety recommendations.
The problem of cyber stalking is a global issue and getting worse every year as smart gadgets and wearables, unfortunately, become a part of problem. It doesn’t only concern a very disturbing trend for “physical” threats like dual usage, but also cyber threats related to software that can be installed on smart devices for surveillance or spying.
Did you know tags have been in the market for a while?
Other devices with similar functionality as AirTags existed before, allowing users to search for objects over a distance with their help, and have been used for various legal and illegal tracking purposes. For example, various pet trackers could have been used as a stalking gadget, if tossed in a victim’s bag or car. But AirTags seem to be way more popular than other gadgets as they cover millions of iPhones.
An iPhone can notify you of any unwanted AirTag, but for Android users there are such apps as Apple Tracker Detect that help protect you from being tracked. However, there are additional ways of cyber stalking that may pass unnoticed. These concern smart devices other than tags – let’s have a closer look at what they are and how to stay protected.
What other threats for smart devices should we be aware of?
Various IoT/Smart gadgets (such as cameras, lighting, robotic vacuum cleaners) can become an entry point to internal network for a cybercriminal, or a spy tool to track almost everything that a victim does. During our research activities at Kaspersky, we have found numerous attack scenarios, such as remote surveillance (or spying) and video frame spoofing. The last means footage on a surveillance camera can be replaced with a totally different one, which could be potentially used by thieves to break into a house and remain undiscovered.
How to stay safe
For general threats for wearable devices (watches, headphones, etc), we would like to remind about basic safety principles:
• To protect yourself from various threats related to smarts gadgets, be aware of buying smart appliances second-hand is an unsafe practice. Their firmware could have been modified by previous owners to give a remote attacker full control over your smart home.
• Another good habit is to read security research regarding devices’ security before buying. The manufacturer normally reacts to discovered vulnerabilities by various researches, and if it quickly resolves issues reported, that’s a good sign.
• In order to avoid possible threats, it’s better to download apps only from official stores like Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon Appstore. Apps from these markets are not 100 % failsafe, but at least they get checked by shop representatives and there is some filtration system — not every app can get into these stores. It’s a safe practice to use a reliable security solution.
• It’s a safe practice to use a reliable security solution. It can detect stalkerware and warn users of any suspicious activity initiated by apps they use, such as attempts to gain access to their location, messages or social networks.