As wearables begin to grow in popularity and enter the workplace in 2015, security must be a key focus for enterprises that wish to add these technologies to their mobile working strategy, Good Technology explained at Mobile World Congress 2015.
Speaking to Infosecurity in Barcelona, Good Technology’s EMEA VP Phil Barnett said that “Suddenly there are opportunities to use mobility in different ways. People who were working with their hands and weren’t able to use a device – a wearable is now something that is possible for them.”
He added that, “Whether we’re presenting our solutions to a watch or a wearable or smartphone, conceptually it’s the same. It’s about securing data in transit and at rest.”
Good Technology announced a raft of updates to its Good Work enterprise mobility solution at MWC. These include wearable support (including Android Wear), integration of Touch ID as a means of accessing business apps on Apple devices, and a new launcher interface containing all secure business apps in one place.
In addition, the Californian company announced that its Good Dynamics Platform will enable the development of secure mobile apps for wearable devices, with support for mobile identity and access management features including two-factor authentication and access control.
The updates from Good mean that users can now receive push notifications and meeting requests and respond to emails all from a wearable. Built-in policy controls will allow admins to enable or disable certain capabilities if they present a potential security infringement, for example sensitive email headers appearing on screen during a client meeting.
On this theme, Barnett also urged companies to engage in user education around wearables as well as rolling out new solutions to secure this burgeoning area of technology.
“The other aspect around wearables is to do with policy setting. It’s a different use model – what kind of information is presented on a watch? And who else can see it? You have to take the user with you and they have to understand their personal responsibility.
“You’ve got a new kind of individual who isn’t necessarily as familiar with working with data or have responsibility of data. It’s important to take those guys with you and go through the necessary education.”