New Parks Associates research shows that less than a quarter (23%) of U.S. broadband households are concerned about privacy and security in using connected health devices, as well as in using fitness tracking devices. These devices, which have built-in sensors and other readers, record and store large amounts of data relating to the users' health and stand the risk of being hacked.
According to the research, smart door locks and tablets however saw more users expressing concerns on privacy and security at 40% and 42% each, while smartphones scored 41%.
Last week, Deutsche Telekom's 2015 Security Report found that there is little concern among Germans on the abuse of personal data collected via connected healthcare solutions, confirming Park Associates findings on the general attitude of users on connected health devices.
Park Associates, however believes that concerns about data security have the potential to be a significant inhibitor to adoption of these services, and the industry needs to inform and empower consumers on the security and usage of their data to drive long-term adoption and usage. The connected health industries, device manufacturers, and app developers not only need to ensure they have strong security measures in place but also that consumers are aware of the steps they are taking to protect their data, said Harry Wang, Director, Health and Mobile Product, Parks Associates.
