Hacking fears force ban of smart watches in Aust'n gov't Cabinet meetings

Smart watches have been banned from Australian government Cabinet meetings out of fear they may be breached by foreign hackers, a government representative has confirmed.

Not even Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is a fan of the smart devices, is exempt from the regulations; he is free to use his Apple Watch in the House of Representatives but must take it off prior to Cabinet meetings.

Smart phones, laptops and tablets are already banned in Cabinet meetings due to the sensitive nature of discussions which take place, while a government spokesperson told Fairfax Media the increased risk of "hacktivists" has forced the government to extend the device ban to smart watches.

"It has long been standard practice on both sides of politics that no electronic transmitting devices, including (smart) watches, are allowed in the Cabinet room," the spokesperson said in comments published in Tuesday's newspapers.

Meanwhile the prime minister's special advisor on cyber security, Alastair MacGibbon, said as more personal devices become connected to the internet -- such as fitness shoes or objects such as spectacles -- stricter regulations would need to be introduced in order to preserve cyber security.

"In a world in which it is necessary for government to have conversations that truly have no electronics in the room, there are going to be more and more items that will have to be locked away in cabinets," he told Fairfax Media. Endit