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September 2016 
Volume 7  
  Issue 23       
THE TRUTH ABOUT FITNESS TRACKERS 
In This Issue
The Truth About Fitness Trackers
Tracking or Not Tracking?
Benefits of Fitness Trackers
The Drawbacks and Dangers
The Solutions
Contact Us
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Tracking or Not Tracking? 
Fitness trackers are a new trend of fitness tools which helps track your progress. They can be a great motivational tool but they can also be a n instrument for tracking your personal habits, including your frequency of exercise, your intensity and duration. These are good steps to monitor your exercise habits.

The problem starts with the tracking of your location and possibly your walking and running routes, which once transmitted by non-encrypted Wi-Fi signals can be hacked and accessed by criminals. The companies have started to encrypt the information but not all trackers are encrypted. There are a multitude of fitness trackers, some of them can be found as an app on your smart phone, others are set up in smart watches or other wrist worn products. From "Fit Bit" to "Misfit", most of them help you stay motivated.
Benefits of Fitness Trackers 
The benefits of fitness are substantial. Motivation and accountability as well as improved results are key elements of the popularity of fitness trackers. Your goals can be tailored and your workouts adjusted accordingly. The price point makes it also affordable for most fitness participants. The integrated data makes it also easy to use and determine the best training approach. Some of the trackers will also provide your resting heart rate and sleeping patterns. Most fitness trackers are easy to use and some can be networked into group sharing and there is where the problem may be. 
The Drawbacks and Dangers
The main concern is the sharing of non-encrypted information with unknown parties. The Wi-Fi component of the tracker can be hacked and information accessed, which obviously may result in a serious breach of privacy including locations such as running paths and times when used for training purpose. This can result into a serious security issue.
The Solutions
The obvious solution is not to buy one. Meanwhile, not all fitness trackers are a security threat, the most important thing is to purchase one from a reputable company and know your security setting and if the information is encrypted. Some companies are taking huge steps in regards to protecting your privacy. Samsung, for example, has introduced "KNOX", if an attempt to access your data, without your consent, your device will lock out of the health app to keep your information safe. 
Contact Us 
If you need assistance, or have questions regarding your fitness tracker, contact one of our investigators and learn how to best protect your personal information on your smart device.  Call us today at 604-922-6572.