Smartwatches are generally an extension of your smartphone and they are useful also for tracking your biometrics. But as digital devices, these smartwatches are also prone to digital intrusions. When it comes to data security, you need to take care of it. It is possible for malicious individuals to steal your crucial data, such as banking and financial information. Here are things you should know:
Expect to lose your smartwatch
Although you wear smartwatch most of the time, there’s time when you may misplace or lose it. Change the default passcode in Settings> Passcode> Change Passcode. In this settings menu, you can enable automatic data erasure if there are ten consecutive unsuccessful unlock attempts. You may also erase smartwatch data manually and remotely at iCloud.com If you have Samsung Galaxy Watch go to Settings> Security> Lock to change PIN or Pattern. You remotely reset a Galaxy Watch with the Galaxy Wearable from your paired smartphone. In Fitbit smartwatch go to Fitbit app, tap profile picture, device image and then Device lock, to set PIN.
Update your smartwatch
By keeping your smartwatch regularly updated, it is easier to prevent malicious activities from data thieves and hackers. If you have an Apple Watch, go to Settings> General> Software Update to check whether you have an update available. Do the same with Samsung Galaxy Watch by going to Settings> General> Update watch software. You need a paired smartphone to update a Fitbit smartwatch. Go to the Fitbit app on your smartphone and look for option to update your smartwatch, go to Today tab> tap profile picture> tap device image> Update.
Limit data connectivity
Often, you can keep the smartwatch offline if it has dedicated 4G connectivity. By working passively, it could still track your biometric condition, like monitoring your diet, sleep patterns and steps. Consider whether you really need to have constant reminder or notification pop-ups on your smartwatch. Many people only need to check the time with their smartwatch and while in public space, you can disable any external connections, including with your smartwatch. This is also useful to extend the battery life of your smartwatch. When installing or using any 3rd party app, you need to check its privacy settings. You can define what data to share with external parties.
Be careful when paying with your smartwatch
It’s incredibly easy to pay anything when you are using a smartwatch. However, an extra convenience could bring an extra risk. Unauthorized individuals may access your banking and other financial details. Your banking app and Paypal account may not be immune to potential security breaches. Before using any third-party payment app, make sure that you reach its privacy policy and find out how it collects and uses information. If you want to prevent people from snooping on your financial information, you need to look for ways to make the payment private. This could be quite different, depending on the type of app you use. Regularly check your transaction accounts, so you can dispute any illegal activity with the bank or payment service.
