Technologies are an essential part of our everyday lives and are increasingly influencing also the fashion industry. Concepts such as techwear and smart fashion focus on the combination of fashion and advanced technologies. And with the rise of artificial intelligence, the industry is taking on a new dimension.
The challenge is just incorporating technology into wearables like clothing without compromises. Innovations are meant to increase the comfort and functionality of garments, but they also bring new challenges. How do we solve charging, for example? How do we deal with maintenance and washing? Check Point Software Technologies, a leading cyber security platform provider of AI-powered, cloud-delivered solutions points out, what the related cyber security risks are, especially as it is one of the most important and also one of the most underestimated areas.
Smart clothing is often expensive to produce, which can affect the availability of products to the wider public. So in the search for savings, some companies forget or deliberately overlook a number of important aspects, including cyber security.
Techwear: Functionality And Style In One
Techwear or tech clothing combines high functionality, durability, and modern design with technological innovations like waterproof, breathable materials, built-in LED lighting for safety at night, smartphone-controlled heating elements, and adaptive materials that react to environmental conditions. However, these smart features come with significant cybersecurity risks.
And here is where the problem starts – any connected device, including smart clothing, can be hacked. When you’re in the mountains, you want your jacket to keep you warm and maybe even save your life in the bitter cold. And at night, you rely on LEDs to illuminate you and keep you safe from being hit by a car. And now we’re not talking about a hypothetical threat, but a real risk. Real-world examples show that even seemingly harmless devices like smart light bulbs and smart vacuum cleaners can be compromised.
The risks escalate when smart tech is used in military contexts. Studio THE UNSEEN has developed materials that change colour depending on the strength of the ambient wind, temperature or pressure. Such clever camouflage elements could have major uses in the military, but interference with heating elements or adaptive camouflage could have serious consequences, potentially altering the outcome of critical operations.
Smart Fashion: Wearable Technology
Smart fashion integrates wearable technology into clothing and accessories, emphasising electronic components and connectivity. This category includes smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart rings that track physical activity, health data, and facilitate payments. These devices, with access to sensitive information, are prime targets for cybercriminals. Stolen data can be exploited for personalised attacks or sold on the darknet. For instance, hackers could use your exercise data to craft convincing phishing schemes, leading you to download malware by getting users to click on a link or fall for scams. Smart devices that enable payments are particularly vulnerable, making them attractive targets for financial theft.
Smart clothing, like shoes or socks with biometric sensors, can monitor health metrics such as heart rate, breathing and muscle activity. And what do you do if the hacked device tells you that your heart rate is dangerously high and that you should click on the link to get more information? Most people will click and fall victim to the scam.
Microphones and speakers in clothing connected to virtual assistants could be hacked for eavesdropping. Levi’s, for example, in collaboration with Google, has developed a jacket that connects to a phone for communication and music. But if millions of dollars of business are to be transacted at an important meeting, could the jacket be hacked to eavesdrop and spy and obtain sensitive information?
Some smart accessories are life-saving, like those that monitor the elderly for any health fluctuations or even detect falls and automatically call for help, or smart prosthetics or exoskeletons to help with movement, that are integrated into fashionable wearables, and seen as such rather than medical devices. But if these critical technologies are compromised, hackers could use them for blackmail, demanding ransoms to restore functionality. Smart glasses or contact lenses, which provide real-time data and environmental analysis, could be hacked to distort your vision or display ransom demands, severely disrupting their intended use.
The Devil Is In The Details
As more and more smart devices are integrated into our clothing, the risk of cyberattacks is increasing.
Mentions Peter Kovalcik, Regional Director, Security Engineer Eastern Europe at Cyber Security company Check Point Software Technologies, “Smart clothing often collects and stores sensitive personal data such as health data, and also a lot of financial information. Hackers can exploit this data for targeted attacks or trade it on the dark web. If attackers gain control over smart clothing, they could manipulate features like heating elements, potentially causing harm. GPS modules in these garments could be misused for stalking or privacy invasion, and integrated microphones and cameras could be exploited for espionage. The challenge of updating and patching vulnerabilities in these devices makes them an easy target for cybercriminals, who can exploit known weaknesses long after they’ve been discovered.”
He continued, “In addition, wearable technologies are usually connected to a mobile phone or to home and corporate networks and linked to various cloud services. Without basic security, these connected devices can be an easy target or a means for a more serious attack on other devices and even possibly, the entire network. Also, always consider carefully which manufacturer you buy your smart products from, as they may then have access to your sensitive data, and whether they are a trusted partner.”
“But it’s not just the devices in the clothing and their users that are at risk. A successful cyberattack on any part of the supply chain could lead to widespread exploitation, such as inserting malware into smart clothing. This could compromise platforms, systems, and apps designed to monitor and control these garments, leading to significant financial losses, severe fines for data breaches, and irreparable damage to brand reputation,” says Peter Kovalcik.
From Catwalks To Healthcare And The Military
But, fashion can also play a key role in protecting our digital privacy. Special glasses, hats or masks, for example, can make computer facial recognition difficult or impossible. Wallets, bags or clothing with built-in RFID blockers prevent unauthorised scanning of RFID chips and data theft. And the use of special fabrics that block or absorb radio signals can protect against tracking by wireless technologies.
The integration of technology into fashion is revolutionising the comfort and functionality of clothing. But as with most other innovations, we face cyber security challenges that must not be underestimated. Moreover, we’re not just talking about fads on the catwalks, but smart clothing can also play an important role in the healthcare, military or space industries, where proper and secure operation is absolutely crucial. Smart fashion is a real threat that could have a serious impact on the functioning of critical organisations and even on lives of users. It is therefore necessary to pay attention to every detail and not to underestimate the security of any smart element. So, live stylishly and futuristically, but safely at the same time.
