Smarter connectivity, improved workflow more accurate results tracking: wearable technology may still be in its infancy, but already, businesses are starting to realise its potential. Yet with opportunities come risks – especially in relation to data security. Why are wearables at work a potential problem and what should businesses do to stay safe? We take a look…
Wearable becomes the norm
Just as the iPhone kickstarted the smartphone revolution and the iPad suddenly made tablets interesting, the arrival of the Apple Watch has already provided a huge boost to the nascent wearables market. Even before the Apple Watch hit the shelves there was clear evidence that wearable devices had lost their novelty value and were becoming regular features of office life. Late last year, for instance, around 69% of IT managers at UK businesses were reporting that staff were bringing wearable devices into the office and almost all of the managers surveyed belaieved that usage would increase in 2015.
The same report also suggested that increased use of wearables was regarded by businesses as a positive thing, with 61% of managers saying that their organisations actively encourage the use of wearables in the workplace.
How are wearables being put to work?
Where the likes of smartwatches and Google Glass are used in the workplace, they seem to be a big hit with both employers and employees. According to a report from Goldsmiths College, those companies who use wearable tech can realise a boost in productivity by up to 8.5%, while job satisfaction increases by 3.5%. Here’s how it’s most commonly put to use:
- Streamlined communications: faster delivery and receipt of messages, both internal and external.
- Employee support: for instance, using smart glasses to deliver complex information to technicians at precisely the point in time they require that information.
- Less time wastage: using smartwatches essentially as electronic lanyards for payment processing and/or to gain access to restricted areas.
- Facilitating flexible and remote working: coupled with smartphones, wearables can provide employees with a means of answering client queries quicker than ever – without being chained to the desk.
- Encouraging a healthier workforce: from delivering subtle reminders to take a break away from the screen, through to encouraging mini work-based workouts, health apps integrated with wearables can help to build a healthier office environment.
So what’s the problem?
There are several potential threats to be aware of:
Unsafe apps
Most wearable devices use tethering to access the internet, with Bluetooth 4.0 being a popular option. It’s not so much the connection that’s the issue, but the use of unsafe apps. For instance, an employee downloads a fitness tracking app and syncs this with a smartwatch. Research from Veracode discovered approximately 2,400 unsafe apps in the average large enterprise mobile environment, with 85% of these exposing sensitive device data and 35% retrieving personal information about the user, including calendars and browser history.
If an employee is accessing a combination of personal and business data via a wearable device, is that data at risk of being compromised through the installation of unsecured applications?
Falling behind on updates
Your IT department no doubt stays on top of all patch cycles and security-critical updates. But are your employees as vigilant when it comes to their own devices? Wearables are still in their infancy and with this comes the risk that manufacturers will be more concerned with getting their products out there and fine-tuning the operating system security at a later date. If device owners are falling behind on updates, are they leaving sensitive data exposed?
Rogue employees
In your rush to encourage the use of wearable tech to keep your employees connected, are you inadvertently providing remote access to parts of your network that you would prefer remain locked? If a ban on audio recording and camera devices is in place (requiring restrictions on mobile phones in sensitive work areas), should that also be extended to smartwatches? Beware of situations where rogue employees may be able to circumvent rules that only apply to smartphones by using wearable tech instead.
Tackling the problem…
- Stay up to date with best practice. With any emerging technology comes the need to monitor emerging risks. Specialist insurance brokers such as Bluefin Group can be a useful source of information on risk analysis.
- Make sure your network security infrastructure is up to date. For instance, does it have the capacity to alert an administrator if an unauthorised device is attempting to access the network?
- Consider restricting the installation of unauthorised apps on devices (including wearables) that are used to access work data. With this in mind, it may be safer to issue devices to employees rather than having a ‘bring your own’ policy in place.
Wearables look set to become a mainstay in workplaces and this is likely to be seen as a positive by both employers and employees. At the same time, beware of drifting into a situation where valuable data is compromised because of a failure to recognise the full capabilities of the technology.