First Advisor
Donald S. Finan
First Committee Member
Deanna K. Meinke
Second Committee Member
Jennifer E. Weber
Third Committee Member
Moe S. Manshad
Degree Name
Doctor of Audiology
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Date Created
11-2024
Department
College of Natural and Health Sciences, Communication Sciences and Disorders, CSD Student Work
Embargo Date
11-2026
Abstract
The integration of Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) into hearing aid systems introduces a susceptibility to diverse cyber threats. The purpose of this study was to assess hearing aid consumer and audiologist perceptions surrounding information security within hearing aid technologies. A total of 97 audiologists and 41 hearing aid users (138 total responses) completed an adapted version of the Internet Users’ Information Privacy Concerns (IUIPC) framework. Another objective of this study was to investigate the existence of simulated identifying information within BLE traffic of top-tier hearing aids from five leading manufacturers in the US: Oticon, Phonak, Signia, Starkey, and ReSound. The act of passively intercepting openly broadcasted data, commonly referred to as "sniffing," constituted the primary approach for capturing information exchanges between smartphones and hearing aids while the hearing aids were engaged in various modes, including pairing, media streaming, and phone calls. The data suggests that both audiologists and hearing aid users show concern about data security in hearing aids. Additionally, three out of the five tested hearing aids revealed information such as device name, Bluetooth address, BLE Generic ATTribute Profile (GATT), and Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) while streaming or in a phone call. Only one out of the five did not use the patient’s name as the device’s programmed name. These findings offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cybersecurity within hearing aid technologies. Both hearing aid dispensing audiologists and users’ express concerns and a demand for enhanced information security measures. Furthermore, the discovery of information through sniffing underscores the imperative for improved data security practices within this domain. Hearing aid users are at risk of potential privacy breaches and cyber threats due to the susceptibility of BLE in hearing aids, as indicated by the findings of the study. Further research is needed to ascertain the degree of security vulnerability in hearing aids that interface with smartphones using BLE.
Abstract Format
html
Disciplines
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Language
English
Extent
174 pages
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Digital Origin
Born digital
Recommended Citation
Kim, Katie M., "Hearing Aid Data Security: User Perceptions and Bluetooth Low Energy Assessment" (2024). Doctoral Capstones & Scholarly Projects. 141.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/capstones/141