HP has released a new study on smartwatch security. Ten smartwatches tested by HP Fortify contained significant vulnerabilities, including insufficient authentication, lack of encryption and privacy concerns.
Mark James, Security Specialist at IT Security Firm ESET :
“Smart watches are a “nice to have” option and thankfully not a “need to have” necessity. With anything new in IT there are often security measures that don’t make it due to deadlines enforced through the industry. Keeping up with other manufacturers to be a forerunner in this technology field may force products to be released without the necessary attention to how secure it actually is. Also quite often in these cases the apps themselves open up the vulnerabilities that we see causing the biggest concerns. With any connected device we need to evaluate the type of data sensitive or otherwise that will be transmitted between devices and how that data transport will happen. Its disappointing although not unexpected that these devices are not as secure as they could be, keeping these “wearable mini computers” updated and patched should be your primary concern if you’re going to buy one.
Ensuring you’re using good strong passwords when interacting with your watch will be a good way to protect that data and try to limit what the watch can and cannot do. Ease of use and security do not often go hand in hand and should always be treated with caution.”[su_box title=”About ESET” style=”noise” box_color=”#336588″]
ESET is a pioneer of proactive protection against cyber threats with its award-winning NOD32 technology. Daily, it protects over 100 million computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets and servers, no matter the operating system. ESET solutions for home and business segment deliver a continual and consistent level of protection against a vast array of existing and emerging threats.[/su_box]
