Smartwatches are rising in popularity these days and they become the latest ground for hack attacks, according to Hewlett-Packard's HP Fortify study, which shows that the devices are vulnerable to hackers.
The study found that 100 percent of smartwatches that it tested are significantly vulnerable since they have problems such as lack of encryption, "insufficient authentication," and privacy issues, as reported in NetImperative
The study points out to the cyber risks present in a number of connected devices — also called the "Internet of Things"— which include cars, coffee makers, and refrigerators among others.
According to HP, smartwatches carry security risks because they can store important information such as a person's health data, and it could also connect to and unlock cars and homes.
Smartwatches have become an adopted platform and so these devices become attractive to those who plan to abuse its access.
For this reason, it is important that people observe caution when sending data or connecting to the devices.
The HP study observed 10 smartwatches, together with iOS and Android cloud applications. The major problem faced by the devices include weak authentication, which allows hacker to easily access the device.
All tested smartwatches even collected personal information such as a person's name, date of birth, gender, address, and health information such as heart rate.
Manufacturers are now starting to work on improving the security of smartwatches, but consumers are meanwhile encouraged to take into consideration security when they plan to buy a smartwatch.
HP suggested that consumers should disable controls such as home or car access, unless the device requires strong authorization.
Consumers are also urged to use very strong passwords when enabling passcode functionality in their devices.
Observing security measures are critical since smartwatches are not only used at home but also connect to corporate networks in the workplace.
