Regarding Apple Watch and Activation Lock

The Apple Watch doesn't yet feature Activation Lock, no. But that doesn't mean you should panic.

Unlike the iPhone, which gained the Activation Lock theft-deterent system in 2013, the Apple Watch currently doesn't secure the device beyond the default passcode/password intercept on the clock face.

This was first noticed by @enMTW immediately following the Watch launch in April, but gained wider attention today following a story on iDownloadblog. So, what does this mean?

Right now, the Apple Watch enjoys greater security than any regular watch, including those sold by Seiko, Timex, Omega, or Rolex. Because the Apple Watch stores some amount of personal data on it, it does have value and risk beyond a regular watch, but the passcode/password system can be set to erase after 10 failed attempts, and no circumvention for that has yet to be made public.

The frustrating part here is that the Apple Watch runs PreBoard, which is Apple introduced last year to handle pre-authenticated processes in iOS, and so it has the potential to offer much greater software security.

Apple knows this, of course. They put it there. So, I suspect the rest simply hasn't been implemented just yet. Given the emphasis Apple has placed on security in recent years, and how much the company has improved the iPhone as of late, I'd also strongly suspect it won't be too long before we see similar or the same theft-deterents on the Apple Watch as well.

In the meantime, there's no reason to panic. Do secure your Apple Watch with a passcode or password and do set it to erase after 10 failed attempts. And then treat it as you would any high profile, valuable piece of electronics or jewelry.

The real difference is, unlike a regular watch, the Apple Watch can and will be improved every time Apple improves Watch OS.








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