As smartwatches have entered the gadgets market and are enjoying impressive sales figures, the devices open up new targets for possible hacking incidences, researchers say.
Hewlett-Packard's HP Fortify has conducted a study, in which ten smartwatches, under different brands, were tested for vulnerabilities. The company has disclosed that one hundred percent of those tested or all ten watches, were found to have the vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities include weak authentication and lack of encryption, according to a report in Hindustan Times. These enable hackers to gain easy access to the devices and information stored within them.
More and more devices are connected to the internet, coming a long way from when phones and computers were the only "smart" gadgets. These days, even cars and refrigerators have internet access. But the smartwatch is particularly vulnerable, because it stores personal information and always just within the reach of the user. This is a possible indication that log-in details for emails and other accessible networks are always open.
"As the adoption of smartwatches accelerates, the platform will become vastly more attractive to those who would abuse that access, making it critical that we take precautions when transmitting personal data or connecting smartwatches into corporate networks." said Jason Schmitt, HP Security general manager.
Smartwatch sales have increased since the device's popularity surged over the past two years, with the release of devices from Pebble and Apple. The device has been around since the early 2000's, when companies such as Linux and watch maker Fossil have released the earlier models. There have been about 4.6 million smartwatches shipped around the world this year and Apple has been reported to cop majority of the sales.
The device has access to some personal information like internet accounts, name, address and even some health information. The smartwatch has a wide range of uses, from gaming to notification checking to fitness tracking.
