This article was published on March 3, 2015

Anti-virus apps are coming to smartwatches


Anti-virus apps are coming to smartwatches

Intel has announced that it will bundle McAfee Mobile Security Suite with the upcoming LG Watch Urbane LTE, reports The Verge.

The company believes that smartwatches collect data like a wearer’s heart rate, and people may care about securing it. CEO Brian Krzanich also said, “I think that any device that connects to your network, you’re going to want to have protected over time.”

While some may balk at the idea of a traditional anti-virus app on your wrist asking you to scan your smartwatch for malware, these devices connect to your phone and some even have their own SIM card for mobile connectivity, and could just as easily be hacked as any smartphone.

Rather than standalone apps, it’d be better for developers of smartwatch platforms like Android Wear and WebOS to build in increased security measures and save users the worry about yet another device leaking their data.

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Intel wants to protect your precious wrist with anti-virus software for smartwatches [The Verge]

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