More and more e-bikes are using data connections to enhance your ride, but experts warn that they can be vulnerable to hackers and privacy leaks.
Sheriff's officers stop me on my guard to ask me this.
Serial 1 says its latest bikes are among the first to integrate Google’s cloud software. The e-bikes use the cloud for security features, navigation and ride data. With the software improvements, however, the new technology could make your bike’s data vulnerable.
“If Facebook can’t figure out who’s using their data and how, despite the immense regulatory pressure, you can be sure there’s no real privacy in this data,” John Bambenek, a cybersecurity expert at Netenrich, a digital IT and security company, told Lifewire in an email interview. “A lot of consumers will probably think about this superficially (‘who cares how fast I’m biking’), but the real question is what data is being collected and generated that consumers aren’t aware of.”
Serial 1, a spin-off from legendary motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson, said its bikes will come with a host of high-tech features. With Serial 1’s Pinpoint Mode enabled, users will be able to precisely track, monitor and digitally lock their Serial 1 eBike no matter where it is in relation to them.
