Hewlett Packard warns of smartwatch cyberattack vulnerability
Computer manufacturer Hewlett Packard has warned those purchasing smartwatches such as the Apple Watch or the Samsung Gear that the gadgets are vulnerable to cyberattack.
Testing 10 of the best-selling models for their security robustness in areas such as password protection and data encryption HP found that only half offered a lock function to prevent other people from accessing data.
Moreover nine of the watches investigated sent some unencrypted data under testing which could be intercepted and a third of the models looked at allowed unlimited log-in attempts. Two of the gadgets could also be readily paired with a different phone if stolen.
Indeed every one of the 10 models investigated raised at least one point of concern for the security researchers.
In a blog post discussing the findings security firm Symantec wrote: “It appears that manufacturers of these devices (including market leaders) have not seriously considered or addressed the privacy implications of wearing their products.”
HP would not divulge the smartwatch models to be studied but the BBC indicated that devices by Apple, Pebble, Samsung and Sony were all included.