LG Urbane watch

Smart watches have been a favorite topic in the mainstream media for a number of reasons (not the least of which is the excitement over Apple’s anticipated announcement next week). These new devices will help us control information and interaction in our lives while they collect data about our fitness and health that have the potential to change the entire healthcare system. One topic that does not get discussed much, however, is about the security of the personal data that these smart watches will store.

News coming out of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week includes an announcement by Intel Security and LG. The McAfee Mobile Security package will be available on the LG Watch Urbane LTE. The software provides the same features that are available on LG G3 smartphones. Users can lock, locate, and even wipe their devices remotely if it is lost or stolen.

This sort of protection is going to become more and more important as we use mobile — and wearable — devices for more and more applications. For example, we are on the verge of near-field contact (NFC) payment using mobile devices becoming commonplace. The stakes are higher if the device is lost or stolen, and users are going to want stronger protection and security features.