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Wear OS Smartwatches Face Rising Security risks – 5 Steps to Protect Your Data
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - New guidance highlights critical security vulnerabilities in Wear OS smartwatches and outlines five immediate steps users can take to safeguard their personal data. as smartwatches increasingly handle sensitive data - from health metrics to location data – experts warn of potential data leaks and emphasize the need for proactive security measures.
Here’s what wear OS users need to know:
- secure Your Home Network: Protect your home WiFi with a strong, complex password and up-to-date encryption. Create a separate guest network specifically for Internet of Things (IoT) devices,like your smartwatch,to isolate it from other household devices.
- Enable Advanced Security Features: Utilize wear OS’s built-in security tools. Activate the Remote delete function through your Google account to erase all data in case of theft or loss. Enable local storage encryption (Settings → security → Encryption), a process taking approximately 30 minutes, to render stored data unreadable without your PIN.
- Stay Updated – and Check Manually: Google has implemented a new, risk-based update system, patching actively exploited vulnerabilities monthly and others quarterly. This makes regular manual security checks crucial. Note that older devices, like the Pixel Watch 1, may not receive the latest updates and thus lack certain security features.
- Prioritize Health Data Protection: Fitness and health data is particularly sensitive. Configure Google Fit and other health apps to prioritize data stored locally on the watch over automatic cloud synchronization.
- Review google Data Collection: Regularly audit the health data Google collects about you at myaccount.google.com. The data export function provides a detailed view of your digital footprint.
These configuration steps, requiring approximately 15 minutes, can significantly enhance the security of your Wear OS smartwatch and protect your privacy.
