News article

•   02/29/2016
•   Created by Christina Münchhausen

Incalculable risk for companies

Security risks connected with wearables represent a considerable threat for companies in particular. Even though portable computer systems are currently used only by very few IT departments, the people in charge are generally not protected against the use of personal devices in the corporate environment. The risk for the company is high, especially in regard to handling confidential and highly sensitive company information. A possible scenario for personal wearables is that they may be linked to company smartphones. Audio and video recordings also represent incalculable threats to IT security. Confidential company information can be collected much more subtly using wearables compared to a simple smartphone. Company details and information can be removed from the company both quickly and without being noticed. Consequently, IT managers must deal with the repercussions of wearables at the workplace and integrate them into their security concept.

High demands on manufacturers

Naturally, users of wearables also want the data collected by the device to be safe. These days, IT security ranks high among both private users and businesses. When buying wearables, preventive security measures taken by the manufacturer will become an increasingly important factor in the purchase decision. Most importantly, the back-end databases must be protected against access. Certification by an independent testing and inspection company like TÜV AUSTRIA confirms that the relevant requirements have been met. After all, you wouldn’t want to provide cyber criminals with real-time geographic information which would allow them to locate you, would you?