President-elect Joe Biden is one of the thousands of people who own a Peloton exercise bike, but according to Popular Mechanics, the bike may be a potential security risk. The Peloton bike features an internet-connected device that includes a microphone and camera, which could theoretically be hacked, and therefore may present a security threat to the White House.
According to Peloton’s website, there is always a potential security risk with its product. “At Peloton, we consider the security of our systems and the best interest of our members a top priority,” the site reads. “However, no matter how much effort we put into system security, there can still be vulnerabilities present. Because of this we are looking to the security community to help us meet this top priority through programs like responsible disclosure.”
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Max Kilger, director of the Data Analytics Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said that while Pelotons contain firewalls and intrusion detection software, “those things can be gotten around if you’re really good and skilled.” Kliger estimated that the safest measure would be to remove the camera, microphone and networking equipment on Biden’s bike though he noted that “You basically have a boring bike. You lose the shiny object and the attractiveness.”
Other options Kliger suggested include setting the bike up in a special gym area where classified discussions are prohibited or using a hardwired connection for the Peloton that is different from the rest of the White House network. It appears Biden wouldn’t be the first White House resident to have a Peloton — a 2017 article from The Verge shared that according to a source close to Peloton, former First Lady Michelle Obama had a modified Peloton without a camera or a microphone during her time at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Ian Thornton-Trump, CISO at Cyjax, told Forbes that while the potential for Biden’s bike to become a successful target for hackers is fairly small, any potential risk regarding the President-elect should be addressed. “IoT devices in proximity to, or used by, the President should come under the utmost scrutiny — as I think the key issue here may be covert audio or video surveillance when in use or when idle (and not powered off),” he said. “The president takes a lot of sensitive calls so I think it needs to be locked down. The risk from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea (CRINK) is why we can’t have nice things.”
Aside from the security risks hacking into the White House could pose, everyday Peloton users also have a risk involved, as cybercriminals could identify IoT devices that contain a vulnerability and install malware that enables them to move to a computer or laptop and access information stored there.
