Hackers Can Hijack Electric Scooters to Spy on Users

The popularity of electric scooters keeps increasing, and so is the interest hackers show for this new means of transportation, as cybercriminals groups see micromobility vehicles as potential targets for obtaining users’ personal data.

Research conducted by UTSA highlights the cybersecurity risks of electric scooters, as malicious actors can hijack them for a wide variety of activities, including spying on users.

For example, given the permanent connectivity between e-scooters and smartphones, which most often relies on Bluetooth Low Energy, hackers can intercept wireless communications and monitor the data exchange to obtain personal information.

High risk of data leaks

And because users very often provide a great deal of details when they sign up for an e-scooter service, cybercriminals could eventually be able to create profiles with highly sensitive data such as home and work locations, preferred routers, and personal interests.

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