Alert smartwatch, someone could steal your ATM PIN

The smartwatch could actually be dangerous for our ATM PIN. The problem lies in the motion sensors which are now embedded in almost all devices that are worn, and therefore also bracelets for fitness or smart watches.

The warning research conducted by Binghamton University, in the US, in part funded by the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Office, according to which the smartwatch sensors are able to pick up the hand movements, allowing hackers to reproduce the gestures made on the keyboard of an ATM and then access a checking account uncontrollably.

The research was conducted by three different tests of security systems, including ATM and placed under observation the movements of 20 people recorded using accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers embedded in wearable devices for a period of 11 months, regardless of the position of the hand. The US researchers have used an algorithm that has proven able to decipher the passwords for the input system of secret codes, including ATMs. In 80% of the test cases it revealed that the security code can be entered just a hacker could infect the virus and smartwatch via Bluetooth connections or intercept thus gaining possession of sensitive data such as the PIN code of the ATM.

Presently, researchers at Binghamton University team was not able to provide suggestions on how to address the issue, merely advising developers of wearable devices to pay more attention to the encryption system implemented systems to ensure greater security in communication between wearable and operating system.