Largely due to the announcement of the iWatch on Tuesday, WYOD (Wear Your Own Device) is a trending topic on the internet. WYOD has been a hotly debated topic since Google Glasses were first announced a few years ago. As wearable devices become more sophisticated and integrated with traditional mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, corporate apps and data could become vulnerable to hackers, malware, and other security threats.
Wearable tech, like other inventions before them, does not come without risks. Wearables are technology capable of recording and capturing pictures of sensitive data and employees alike, representing potential security and privacy issues. And there are concerns that wearable devices will be vulnerable to malware that could infect corporate data or apps. On the other side, wearable devices can provide benefits to workers, from hands free computing and data collection to faster communication capabilities.
Banning the use of new and emerging technologies is not likely to be effective. For the foreseeable future, organizations will be creating and adapting their Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies to ensure that corporate data and employee privacy is being protected.
Some BYOD & WYOD Resources to Get You Started
Here are a few links to some great resources regarding standard BYOD/WYOD policies and how to introduce them to your business environment.
http://www.burrus.com/2014/01/from-byob-to-wyod-how-wearables-will-transform-business/
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2600626/wearables-apple-iwatch-release-date-itbwcw.html
http://mobiledevices.about.com/od/Mobile-Security/fl/Will-WYOD-Take-Over-the-Enterprise-Sector.htm
Establishing a pilot program and educating employees about WYOD to get the ball rolling is a great start.