This is the latest must-have in mobile devices and the more its popularity increases, the more our confidential information is at risk – as they become more popular, smartwatches are now becoming the latest target for cybercriminals.
At the end of the day, millions of users will store their personal data on these devices that act as a bridge with our mobile phones. Therefore, the security of wearable fashion should be a matter of vital importance for manufacturers.
However, the current proliferation of smartwatches is far from being as secure as we would expect from a device that is setting out to become popular worldwide.
According to a recent study carried out by HP, the majority of smartwatches that are currently available are at risk of cybernetic attacks.
Further proof of this is shown in the recent smartwatch that was unveiled by Apple. At the moment, there is nothing to prevent the password of the Apple Watch from being deleted and a stolen device being used to make purchases.
However, Apple is not the only manufacturer of smartwatches that needs to improve the security of its wearable products. In fact, the details of the study are telling – 100% of the analyzed models have a vulnerability that threatens user data. The main weak point is the absence of a double authentication process which, undoubtedly, would make the product more secure.
In addition, researchers found unsafe web interfaces and outdated methods of data encryption on the devices. To make matters worse, 70% of the watches analyzed have problems with their firmware updates.
Beyond the risk to the information gathered by the smartwatches (passwords, bank details and even the heartbeat of its owner), the vulnerabilities of these devices could be used by cybercriminals to access networks and computers connected to the smartwatch. That means that the security of these watches may impact the rest of our technological lives.
“It is vital that we take precautions when sending confidential information or when we wear smartwatches to work”, explained the people behind the study.
For now, there is little that users can do to make their smartwatch completely secure. Therefore, it is best to check which model offers more tools to protect your information and, above all, take special caution when sharing confidential information with your wearable devices.
Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions. Initially focused on the development of antivirus software, the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime.
