The best-selling smartwatches on the market all have security problems, according to US tech giant Hewlett-Packard.
The company tested 10 wearables for security features, such as password protection and data encryption.
It found all the watches had at least one area of concern.
One security expert said manufacturers needed to pay closer attention to customer security.
“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 they actually are,” said Mark James, security specialist at online security firm ESET.
HP said it had tested 10 of the “top” smartwatches for security features recommended by the Open Web Application Security Project, which aims to set standards for internet connected devices.
It found that:
- Only half the watches had a lock function to prevent people other than the owner accessing data stored on it
- Nine of the watches sent some data unencrypted, which could be intercepted
- A third of the smartwatches allowed unlimited login attempts, which could help attackers guess passwords
- Two of the devices could be easily paired with a different phone if stolen
“The results of our research were disappointing, but not surprising,” HP said in its report.
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