For many people, smart watches are exactly what they needed their whole lives. Those little gadgets are perfect for you if you’re looking for a combination of next-level functionality and wearable chic. And they can also do so many things, like remind you of the meetings that you’re supposed to have, track your health, and even tell the time. And since they’re such a big part of many people’s lives, we felt that they should be aware of possible risks that their Smart watches could be facing from time to time.
Discovery made earlier this year by one of the professors of the Stevens Institute of Technology says that it is possible for a skilled hacker to steal your ATM PIN from that smartwatch you could be wearing right now. And the process doesn’t appear to be too difficult either, all that they need to do is “sniff” the data that you’re transferring from smartphone to smart watch, and back.
Since your online privacy and online security are so tightly connected, we’ve prepared a few pieces of advice about the things you can do to prevent hackers from getting an easy access to your personal data.
1. Smartphone Security
You might find it strange that the first entry on this list is connected to a smartphone, but so is your smart watch. In fact, you could even say that the smart watch security starts with the smartphone and its security. We’ve mentioned the ATM PIN thefts, and that’s the proof you need that the smart watch could be accessed through the unsecured connection with the phone. It’s enough for a hacker to breach one of those two devices, and both will be at risk.
The most common and easiest way for a hacker to get access to your phone is through the fake apps. That’s why it’s important to be very careful about what you download, and we’d recommend staying inside the boundaries of the Google Play Store if you’re an Android user or iOS App Store for the Apple users. iOS users should also be aware that jailbreaking their phones can be liberating, but it also might lead to a lot of security issues.
2. Regular Software Updates
Updates are important, and that’s why every company makes them on regular basis. They’re useful when it comes to performance enhancement, but even more when it comes to patching up system security flaws, and this method of protection is one of the most important. Flawed apps are open doors to hackers, and even though you might be annoyed by a couple of seconds that the app needs to reboot, it’s a way better option than to have your data stolen and misused.
3. Fitness Data Protection
As you’re probably well aware by now, not only hackers and cybercriminals are interested in you and your data. This is also true when it comes to insurance companies and advertisers. These companies collect data from the users of pretty much any device with a Wi-Fi, and they inform their pricing and marketing.
This is mostly true when it comes to your fitness and health data. Smart watches are real gold mines when it comes to collecting information about their users, and companies are counting on them to inform them about your needs and conditions. For example, if you have heart problems and the companies find out about it, or maybe discover that you enjoy higher amounts of an unhealthy food, they might go as far as to refuse to insure you.
You should do well to check privacy settings before you start using any of the fitness apps, and always make sure to choose what information can be publicly shared. Using an alias as a username is also highly recommendable.
4. Enable Settings That Will Protect You From Theft
So far, we’ve concentrated on what might happen if someone hacks you remotely, but don’t forget that there’s always an option that your smart watch might simply get stolen, and that anyone can also get the information about you that way.
Manufacturers and developers are aware that this might happen, and that’s why there are security settings that are put there, settings especially made to deter theft. One of these is an Activation Lock that prevents pairing the Apple Watch with any and all unapproved devices. Other smart watches also have this option, and no matter what it’s called, you should make sure that you enable it.
It’s not that difficult to keep your smart watch secure, all you have to do is keep a few easy steps in mind, and those include being careful when it comes to the apps you’re downloading, regularly updating them, keeping your fitness data locked and enabling theft deterrence settings.
With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you’ve done everything in your power to protect yourself and your online privacy, and now your smart watch is as secure as it can possibly be.
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