Joe Biden’s fitness regime may potentially cause an unexpected headache for security services charged with keeping the new president safe in the White House, with his Peloton exercise bike viewed by some as a potential cybersecurity risk.
At home in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden is reported to start each day with a workout in a gym equipped with weights, treadmill, and the Peloton bike. Peloton combines a stationary exercise bike with an interactive tablet that allows the rider to take part in group training sessions remotely. Already gaining traction before the coronavirus pandemic, stay-at-home orders and social distancing have led to a surge in the product’s popularity among those unable to get to their regular gym.
However, as well as watching an instructor, participants in the classes are also on view – meaning thetablet comes equipped with a webcam and a microphone, which will be in a sensitive area of the White House.
Popular Mechanics magazine spoke to cybersecurity expert Max Kilger at the University of Texas about the risk. He said: “Because you’re connected to the internet, even though there are firewalls and intrusion detection software ... those things can be gotten around if you’re really good and skilled. If you really want that Peloton to be secure, you yank out the camera, you yank out the microphone, and you yank out the networking equipment ... and you basically have a boring bike. You lose the shiny object and the attractiveness.”
It is not the first time the issue has been raised. A 2017 review biden peloton cybersecurity experts
