Technology is always cool especially if it looks good, has the needed features, and can be shown off by actually wearing them. Take for example the smart watches. They are a combination of a wrist watch, navigation system, wearable computer, PDA, radio, camera, video, and more. A couple years ago Google Glass entered the market in the U.K. and now it is readily available in department stores or online here in the U.S.
One drawback at this point is, these products are quite pricey. However, people buy them and use them. So, what is going to prevent them from creeping into the workplace? Nothing so far but here lies the problem. It is a huge security threat as people can take videos and photographs of files, record conversations, and surreptitiously use the knowledge for nefarious crimes.
With breach stories coming out in the news everyday, more compliance and security problems are not what retailers or businesses need. Setting policies and procedures are one way of handling these issues. A news item about this on Computer Weekly says, “Companies may need to restrict or ban the use of wearable technology where employees have access to valuable intellectual property. Organizations may choose to ban Google Glass from call centers for example, where staff have access to customer records containing personal details about clients”.
At this point, neither Google Glass nor smart watch has hit mainstream. Once prices become more reasonable, they are likely too. In another year or two, these could become major threats. Something to watch out for.
