How Joe Biden's Peloton Made Everyone Wake Up About Cybersecurity

An incoming president will always create a long list of tasks for the team in charge of running the White House. Moving a whole family out and a new one in is bound to have its challenges.

However, Joe Biden has apparently already tested the Secret Service - with his workout equipment. It’s led to some intense dialog about America's cybersecurity as a whole, and even its status as a global player in protecting against digital attacks. Let's take a look at how this played out.

Fitness-conscious 78-year-old Biden is reportedly a fan of the Peloton stationary bikes, sales of which soared when gyms were closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the problem is that the interactive machines come equipped with webcams and microphones to allow users to stream classes and talk to instructors. Not only could this mean the POTUS may turn up in a class with other startled participants, but it also has negative implications for the security of the White House.

Cybersecurity expert Max Kilger at the University of Texas told Popular Mechanics magazine there’s a risk that malicious parties could target the Peloton as a way of getting to Biden and spying not only on his home, but on his workplace.

The expert pointed out that it isn't just the bike either, as that could simply be used as a jumping-off point to access smartwatches and TVs within the White House, should someone successfully install malware.

The Secret Service and the National Security Agency (NSA) have already spoken out to insist they’ll be making changes to the bike's IT infrastructure to mitigate the risk, including removing cameras and microphones and constantly changing the passwords.

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