Apple Watch Will Use Skin Contact for Apple Pay Security

[Fortimir]

Will Apple Pay work on a iPhone 5s with Apple watch?

Dinda. Pay will work on the Watch when used with a 5s. The 5s still won't have NFC, if that's what you're asking.

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[/COLOR]

So basically you have to renter the pin every day, since you need to charge every night. Breakthrough... Not!

Still infinitely more convenient than all current methods of payment.

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I have a feeling there will be some optional override for this feature. Some people wear their watches loose (even though that will affect health tracking as well), and there also may be some people with prosthetic limbs or other medical reasons why this wouldn't work.

 

[BvizioN]

Unless they take your wrist with the watch...

Not quite sure if you being serious or sarcastic!!

 

[lincolntran]

That's very cool. Hope for their sake that they patented that idea.

Too late, samsung[samdung] already started copying this idea and the whole watch execution/implementation. If by any chance, they'll release it next month.

 

[Pegamush]

i think it makes already sense enough that it only works when your iphone is also in the range, which would give thefts a much harder work (stealing the watch AND the phone?)
putting a password each time i wear it? so everyday? no thanks.

OT: i wonder if they'll release a double usb charger for this thing and the phone.. it's not that common having 2 free ac sockets at the bedside!

 

[Designer Dale]

I think they meant kill the owner, leave the watch on the body.

I wish people would think this out. I mean what would it look like? Guy walks into a store dragging a dead body by the wrist and uses the victim's watch to make a purchase? Like this is going to happen??

Maybe in New York...

Dale

 

[Alenore]

So in short, it's just protected by a pin. If you know it, enter it while wearing the watch and there you go. It's not different from a credit card pin.

 

[downpour]

So the mugger just needs to demand one code and they have access to all your credit cards? ...and they can check the code is correct while standing in front of you.

Genius Apple.

Not to mention the watch is a little sign that reads "this person is also carrying an iPhone."

 

[drekryan]

Is there a mechanism in place to prevent people from touching the watch with a sensor? For example, if you're standing in a crowd, someone standing next to you could potentially touch a sensor against the watch to initiate a payment.

It's harder to do this with the iPhone 6 when it's in your pocket because it requires Touch ID authorization, but the Apple Watch doesn't need this and it's easily accessible on your wrist.

Well it would be obvious to the person wearing the watch as it uses taptic feedback (vibrate) to tell you a transaction just went through. I dont know the other things put in place to prevent this yet but I know it is thoroughly thought out. Some people are getting way out of hand with the flaws they are thinking up where there are virtually impossible without someone easily knowing.

 

[Patriks7]

Since you need to have the watch connected to your phone anyway, why not work out something around Touch ID? For example, in the morning you put on your watch and your phone senses this and it asks you to unlock it through Touch ID on your phone. Seems easier than having to type in a PIN every morning.

 

[downpour]

So in short, it's just protected by a pin. If you know it, enter it while wearing the watch and there you go. It's not different from a credit card pin.

Except this pin works with all your cards, doesn't have to be entered in the store and the system doesn't require any kind of identification.

It's perfect for a quick get-a-way.

Apple's new slogan: "Card fraud - It just works!"

 

[robertosh]

In this photo the watch looks very nice.

 

[Sandstorm]

This probably means WATCH payments will work with pre-NFC compatible iPhones as well...

One thing though - the whole PIN solution still seems clunky. Why not tie it with the iPhone Touch ID? The watch pairs with iPhone anyway. So long as it is paired with iPhone, that is at least once unlocked using Touch ID and is in contact with skin, you should be considered "authorised".

 

[Smartass]

How's this more secure than entering your pin number at the register? The only difference is that it wont work if the watch is not strapped to the hand. In all other aspects its the same level of security that we currently have. Even worse, if somebody knows your passcode you're pretty much screwed since he can go waving your watch around shopping malls without any problems. Oh yes, real genius.

 

[Sandstorm]

Since you need to have the watch connected to your phone anyway, why not work out something around Touch ID? For example, in the morning you put on your watch and your phone senses this and it asks you to unlock it through Touch ID on your phone. Seems easier than having to type in a PIN every morning.

Exactly what I was thinking. It could even seamlessly work in the background, no need for prompts - once the watch is on you and paired with iPhone, it could get authorised the moment you unlock your phone with Touch ID. There would only be very rare cases where a prompt is needed (first watch purchase early morning before you have checked your phone).

 

[Alenore]

Except this pin works with all your cards, doesn't have to be entered in the store and the system doesn't require any kind of identification.

It's perfect for a quick get-a-way.

Apple's new slogan: "Card fraud - It just works!"

Kinda. At least when they stole your card and asked for the pin, you could give them a fake one and they wouldn't know. There, it's just "enter the pin? Good, thanks."

 

[Recognition]

I think they meant kill the owner, leave the watch on the body.

and then what?

Drag the victims lifeless corpse to McDonald's and purchase a happy meal?

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So the mugger just needs to demand one code and they have access to all your credit cards? ...and they can check the code is correct while standing in front of you.

Genius Apple.

Not to mention the watch is a little sign that reads "this person is also carrying an iPhone."

..and then you do the same as when you loose your wallet or your handbag is stolen, call your bank and cancel your cards.
Not worth getting injured or losing your life over. That's why we have insurance.

 

[kas23]

And what about people with hairy hands?

I got those too. Guess I'm in trouble. I can see it now, "you're wearing it wrong".

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Not to mention people with prosthetic arms.

Very true. But I'm sure Apple, not wanting to be discriminative, thought of this and there's a "prosthetic arms" option under the "Accessibility" menu.

 

[dnlklr]

watch= house arrest ankle monitor....
truly dystopian...

 

[downpour]

Kinda. At least when they stole your card and asked for the pin, you could give them a fake one and they wouldn't know. There, it's just "enter the pin? Good, thanks."

That's the problem with this idea, they can check it there and then. They put the watch on their wrist enter the pin, and it tells them the pin is wrong... at this point they hold the knife to your neck and ask again.

Also with credit cards, it is a different pin for every card... Apple are giving criminals access to all your cards with one easy to use gadget and pin number.

Apple need to change this system so the watch can only be unlocked with TouchID on an iPhone. A pin number isn't secure enough to provide free access to all your credit cards.

 

[gnasher729]

Not very secure. Crafty thieves would just have a slither of plastic at body temp to slide underneath the watch as they nab it. Im sure someone will start selling a tool. Bad idea to leave something authorised for a long time period. Asking for trouble.

Absolutely. There will be a _huge_ industry specialised in producing tools that allow the theft of Apple Watches without interrupting their use for Apple Pay. Maybe Samsung will be making these tools? They'd probably sell more than their stalker watches. Make billions in profits.

Let me think... So you are predicting that there will be tens of millions of people buying these watches, to make this industry worthwhile?

That's the problem with this idea, they can check it there and then. They put the watch on their wrist enter the pin, and it tells them the pin is wrong... at this point they hold the knife to your neck and ask again.

Here's the problem: Doing this changes the crime from simple theft to armed robbery. Which means that the police will try very, very hard to catch them (they don't care about a watch stolen without violence), and when caught you will go to jail for many years.

How's this more secure than entering your pin number at the register? The only difference is that it wont work if the watch is not strapped to the hand. In all other aspects its the same level of security that we currently have. Even worse, if somebody knows your passcode you're pretty much screwed since he can go waving your watch around shopping malls without any problems. Oh yes, real genius.

Nice username. Well, you picked it.

How is it more secure? It isn't. It's easier. That's the point of it. Well, actually, it is more secure, because there are people using camers to observe you entering a pin code. So you buy something, a minute later your card is stolen, and then they can use it. And of course, if they have your pin code then your watch might be harder to steal than your cards.

 

[dilbert99]

So you enter your PIN and can make payments. Then every night you get home and take it off to charge and the next day you have to re enter the PIN. Sounds like just one more POS to remember every morning while I'm getting ready for work. No thanks.

EDIT: Apparently needfx realized the same thing I did.

You have to enter your pin every purchase you make with a normal credit card (assuming your country has caught up with chip and pin). But only once a day with the watch.

 

[gnasher729]

Only flaw with Apple's approach I see is someone overseeing you enter the PIN, then steal your watch, put it on their hand, re-enter the PIN, and go shopping.

You'd most likely enter the PIN in your bedroom when you put on your watch. Or in the bathroom after coming out of the shower. In other words, inside your home. Not at a cash machine where it is obvious that many people will be coming all day using their PIN.

 

[dabotsonline]

Skin contact is an elegant security measure so I'm surprised it wasn't promoted on stage. When loyalty card notifications are fully integrated into Passbook and a proximity alert appears on the Apple Watch for offers, this will be a very elegant, speedy, all-in-one solution. It'll be interested to see Google improve Google Wallet and Android Wear from now on (although they are ahead in the respect that GPS has been integrated into the Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50 - which also features full IP68 waterproofing - and will be enabled by the time the Apple Watch reaches the market). It'll also be interesting to see whether Apple Watch receives a hardware refresh in September 2015 or early 2016.

 

[suzerain]

Hmm...this means the only security measure for payments with the watch is a PIN number.

Anyone could put on your watch and create skin contact...getting the PIN would be as easy as looking over your shoulder while you entered it, or looking at security camera footage from above you.

 

[gnasher729]

In real life, the annoying part will be when you're in line behind someone trying to pay with their watch that hasn't been reauthorized yet.

It'll be even worse if they left their phone somewhere else

And I know 100% that _I_ will be the one behind... Happens to me all the time. At a toll booth there is _one_ guy who drops their money on the floor of their car and takes 10 minutes to pick it up and guess who's waiting in the car behind him. At a checkout there is _one_ guy with three credit cards all running out of money at the same time, and guess who's behind him...