Most of us do everything we can to secure our devices to prevent cyberattacks from hackers, but we’re usually not aware of the dangers that threaten our smartwatches. Although smart watches are usually used as an accessory in addition to the main device, there is still a risk that hackers will use them to achieve their goals.
Why should hackers hack smart watches?
Smart watches can store various information such as phone number, email address, login information of various sites and payment information, which a hacker can exploit if they are extracted.
It is true that the information stored on a mobile phone is probably more important and valuable than the information stored on a smart watch; But it does not mean that there is no valuable information on them. Even a simple phone number or login information to a website gives a hacker a lot of access. Therefore, it should not be assumed that the information stored on the smart watch is not important for a hacker.
How are smart watches hacked?
It can be said that smart watches are small computers on the wrist. Using smart watches, you can connect to the Internet, use Bluetooth, make calls, send messages, or shop.
There are too many remote attack methods to list them all, but there are a few that make smartwatches more vulnerable.
Phishing is a type of cybercrime that occurs through different communication methods such as email, SMS and even messages you receive on social networks and leads to the spread of malware or the theft of user information.
For example, let’s say you unknowingly opened a phishing email on your smartwatch. From the moment malware is installed and activated on your device, it can record your location and activities and steal your information. There are other types of these malwares that allow the hacker to block the device and extort the user.
In addition, the use of Bluetooth smart watches is also dangerous. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication used to pair with other devices such as wireless speakers and headphones. Bluetooth in smart watches by connecting to a mobile phone allows making calls, controlling music, controlling the shutter button of the camera and some other various functions.
When Bluetooth is used to connect a cell phone to a smart watch, it creates a way to break into the device where hackers can access the information exchanged between the cell phone and the smart watch by interfering with the communication.
How to protect your smart watch from hackers?
As we said before, smart watches use a lot of wireless communication. All these ways have the potential to be used by hackers. So it makes sense to activate them only when needed. For example, if you don’t need NFC for a while; Disable it until you can use it again. In addition, try to avoid connecting your smart watch to unknown devices because if they are infected with malware, they can also infect your smart watch.
Connecting a smartwatch to a public Wi-Fi network makes it an easy target for hackers. This law applies to all devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones and smart watches; If you don’t use security protocols like VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi, you are vulnerable to data theft and activity logging by hackers.
Updating the software of smart watches, especially their operating system, can play an essential role in raising the level of security. Software updates have many advantages, one of which is the elimination of security vulnerabilities.
Another way is to go to famous and trusted brands to choose smart watches. Cheaper devices usually use weaker security protocols to keep the price down. Of course, this is not always true, but it is usually safer to go for a product with many positive reviews and a well-known brand.
Today, most of the devices are vulnerable to hacker attacks, and smart watches are also on the list of these devices. Due to the many ways that smartwatches connect to different devices; These devices are potential victims for hackers. If you are using a smart watch and you are concerned about the activities of hackers, you can use the things mentioned above to increase the security of you and your device.
What other methods do you know to increase the security of smart watches against hacker attacks?
