Biden is an avid Peloton user, but his bike is creating a security headache at the White House
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Joe Biden is having problems bringing his Peloton to the White House.
The stationary bike may pose a national security risk due to its built-in camera and microphones.
POTUS may get to keep his Peloton, but the Secret Service and NSA will have to make significant adjustments first.
Related: Highlights from President Joe Biden's history-making inauguration
Joe Biden may officially be the most powerful man on Earth, but he may not have the power to decide what he brings to his new house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The newly-minted president of the United States may have to leave behind his beloved Peloton - the interactive stationary bike - as he settles into the White House following Wednesday's inauguration.
Biden and the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, are avid users of the uber-popular workout machinery and have regularly ridden one for exercise while isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Peloton could pose a security risk if brought to the White House in its standard form, as the bike's screen features a camera, microphones, and a built-in computer that connects to the internet.
According to reporting from The New York Times, Biden's Peloton would be an obvious target for foreign adversaries to hack into in order to glean top-secret information. In order to prevent such a breach, Biden will either have to forgo his favorite workout regimen or allow National Security Agency and Secret Service respresentatives to doctor the bike considerably.
The camera and the microphone would have to go, according to former NSA Deputy Dircetor Richard H. Ledgett Jr. Biden would need to pick a subtle username - presumably not POTUS - which he'd be advised to change regularly. And no gabbing on the bike, either, Ledgett warned.
"If he's the kind of guy who pedals and talks to people, that could be problematic," Ledgett - "a Peloton user myself" - told The Times.
Peloton was already a common exercise option before the pandemic began. But ever since the threat of COVID-19 has forced gyms to close and people to remain confined to their homes, the company's popularity has exploded and its value has soared.
More than 3,000,000 people use Peloton's workout systems, and that number is only positioned to grow as the coronavirus pandemic drags on. But whether or not the leader of the free world will join them on the bike still remains to be seen.
Read the original article on Insider
