Google Glass security fears: could hackers watch and listen to your every move?
Security experts have raised concerns as to the potential vulnerability of Google’s much vaunted augmented reality glasses, warning that a skilled hacker could be able to usurp the software to see and hear everything its wearer can.
Google Glass is currently being developed by the search giant but as yet it does not feature any kind of PIN or authentication system, rendering it vulnerable to nefarious interference.
Jay Freeman, a Santa Barbara based hacker, claims that this is made possible via a ‘root’ function built into the device, readily accessible when attached to a desktop computer.
In a blog post he said: “Once the attacker has root on your Glass, they have much more power than if they had access to your phone or even your computer: they have control over a camera and a microphone that are attached to your head.
"A bugged Glass doesn't just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesn't know are your thoughts."
Needless to say such a breach would be far from desirable with snoopers able to pick up passwords, door codes and even what you write.
Freeman observes: “it knows all your passwords, for example, as it can watch you type them. It even manages to monitor your usage of otherwise safe, old-fashioned technology: it watches you enter door codes, it takes pictures of your keys, and it records what you write using a pen and paper. Nothing is safe once your Glass has been hacked.”
Responding to the claims a Google spokesperson said: "We recognize the importance of building device-specific protections, and we're experimenting with solutions as we work to make Glass more broadly available."