Wearable Technology
Part 2
4imprint.com

Prepare to be amazed—the magic of wearable
technology is coming to a theatre near you
By now, if you read part one of the series on wearable technology, http://
info.4imprint.com/blue-paper/wearable-technology-part-1/ you are familiar with
the magical world of wearable technology and know that it’s a trend that is
probably here to stay. The trend is not slowing down either, in fact it’s growing at
exponential speed. In fact, Gartner® claims that in the upcoming year, demand for
wearable technologies will exceed tablet demand. Moreover, it’s estimated that
this year, the wearable devices market will reach approximately 2 million units.1
And that’s only scratching the surface—by 2018, research shows that wearable
device shipments will reach anywhere from 130 to as much as 170 million.2 Even
by the end of 2014, it is predicted that wearable use will increase by 10 times
the initial estimate.3
In case you’re still in the dark, let’s shed some light on wearable technology.
Essentially, wearable technology is the concept of gadgets, worn on the body,
that do everything from monitor personal body performance or help you
complete activities otherwise performed on a computer or laptop. A wearable
can come in the form of many things—from eyeglasses, clothing, watches and
more. It’s like magic, except there’s no hidden illusion—it’s real.
The wearable technology revolution is changing the business landscape, and
companies need to be prepared if they decide to permit wearable use in the
office. Yet estimates show that 85 percent of the public sector is unprepared for
the impact of wearable technology on its IT infrastructure.4 Is your company one
of the 85 percent? Do you know how to manage the implementation of wearable
technologies across your organization? Even more importantly, is it a good idea in
the first place?
Just as you wouldn’t throw a magic show without some practice, you shouldn’t
allow wearables in the office unless you’ve weighed the pros and cons and
thought about how to do it. Too much can go wrong if you don’t, exposing tricks
of the trade to a wider audience. First and foremost, companies need to consider
if there is business value to wearables and whether or not the pros outweigh
1 Rossi, Ben. “Wearable Technology: A Cyber Risk on Your Wrist? | Information Age.” Information Age. N.p., 8
May 2014. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.information-age.com/technology/security/123457968/wearable-technology-
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
cyber-risk-your-wrist>.
2 Green, Chloe. “Wearable Device Shipments to Reach 130 Million by 2018 | Information Age.” Information
Age. N.p., 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.information-age.com/technology/mobile-and-networking/
123457481/wearable-device-shipments-to-reach-130-million-by-2018>.
3 Rossi, Ben. “85% of the Public Sector Is Unprepared for the Impact of Wearable Technology on Its IT
Infrastructure.” Information Age. N.p., 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.information-age.com/
technology/data-centre-and-it-infrastructure/123457858/85-public-sector-unprepared-impact-wearable-technology-
its-it-infrastructure>.
4 Ibid.

the cons. This Blue Paper® examines the implications of wearable technology,
particularly what it means to the workplace and how it will affect business
functions like human resources (HR) and technology. As noted, few companies
have policies to manage the growing trend, yet it needs to be addressed. This
paper will identify how to be prepared and provide business leaders with tips on
how to establish guidelines and enforce policies, should you choose to adopt a
wearable policy in the first place. So get ready to take to the stage, because it’s
time for the curtain call.
It’s not all magic and fun behind the scenes: The impact of wearable technology
The thrilling world of wearable technology is enticing and most can’t take their
eyes off the stage. But as fascinating as it might be, the allure comes with a cost.
A lot goes on behind the scenes, and if you aren’t prepared, you might not be
able to afford the show. In other words, wearable technology will challenge
corporations in three key areas, and the implications should be addressed before
unleashing the magic. These include: data protection, privacy protection and
system security and bandwidth.5
Data protection methods will be challenged by wearables, and this will require
you to review current practices to make sure they are sufficient. To protect
corporate data, you might have to take it up a notch and upgrade security
and impose tighter controls. Why? Because all of a sudden, employees have
unprecedented access to sensitive business information, thus presenting more
opportunities for misuse. Just like the Bring Your Own Device trend, companies
need to take measures to protect intellectual capital. You might be able to
leverage some of the data protection measures found in BYOD policies—
companies that have a BYOD policy will be a step ahead. But wearable technology
will be far more complex, leading some to say it will seem like a cakewalk in
comparison to BYOD implementation. There are a host of new issues and risks,
and additional security measures might be required.
Once again, as with BYOD, the data ownership will be called into question.
Companies need to determine who will own the data contained in wearables.
Will data be owned by the individual or the company? If data on a wearable has
personal information, will companies be able to access it? Believe it or not, some
organizations require full access to any data on a wearable—even if it’s personal
information.6 It’s becoming more commonplace to demand full disclosure and
permit corporate access to any information captured in your wearable if they are
used for business functions.
5 Rossi, Ben. “85% of the Public Sector Is Unprepared for the Impact of Wearable Technology on Its IT
Infrastructure.” Information Age. N.p., 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.information-age.com/
technology/data-centre-and-it-infrastructure/123457858/85-public-sector-unprepared-impact-wearable-technology-
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
its-it-infrastructure>.
6 Ng, Cindy. “5 Privacy Concerns about Wearable Technology.” Varonis Blog The Metadata Era RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 19 June 2014. <http://blog.varonis.com/5-privacy-concerns-about-wearable-technology/>.

Perhaps the largest impact of wearable technology relates to privacy, particularly
how it is upheld and maintained. Employees will no longer simply be using a
desktop computer to carry out their daily duties, but will be able to interact
and engage with a whole host of computing interfaces, often without your
knowledge. You won’t necessarily know when information is being collected
or recorded, and it could violate privacy rights. Companies must be vigilant in
defining safeguards to ensure employees are not violating the privacy of others
in the organization. As noted in the next section, in the future, privacy rights
may be tightly controlled—at this moment new legislation is pulling in the reins
on the issue. In fact, some states are already lobbying for greater controls and
regulations surrounding the use of wearables.
Along these same lines, wearable technology will present challenges to
confidentiality. Users will have access to confidential information, literally with
the blink of an eye, and it will be hard to know when employees are accessing
valuable information. Your business could be at risk from employees covertly
copying crucial and sensitive information via wearable technology and later
downloading this information onto Cloud-like networks or their own personal
desktop. Data can even be passed directly to a competitor without you ever
knowing it. Accordingly, companies need to be proactive and find ways to protect
confidential business knowledge.
Finally, wearables will impact security and bandwidth. Today, an employee may
have only a few devices accessing the network, but this number could jump to as
much as 15 to 20 devices per employee in the upcoming years.7 Companies need
to make sure they are ready for increased traffic and establish advanced security
measures in order to access servers or other corporate repositories. You’ll also
need to ensure enough security is in place to prevent unauthorized third parties
from deciphering the content. Administrators can employ greater Secure Socket
Layer (SSL) protocols for encryption that safeguard materials in transit from being
snooped or stolen by a third party, but protection will take time and money.
What about network capabilities? Is your current network ready for the
bandwidth required to handle the influx of wearable devices? Companies need
to look at the existing network and reevaluate its capabilities to make sure it can
handle increases in traffic and access. As the adoption of wearable technology
gains momentum, many organizations risk losing control of their network with
device overload.
7 “The Effect of Wearable Technology on the Corporate Network in 2014.” TechRadar. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June
2014. <http://www.techradar.com/us/news/world-of-tech/future-tech/the-effect-of-wearable-technology-on-the-corporate-
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
network-in-2014-1207314#null>.

Silence cell phones and turn off cameras before
the show—addressing privacy
You’ve probably been in a theater that asks the audience to turn off phones
before a performance or screening and explicitly prohibits the use of video
cameras. This practice isn’t just to limit disruptions for the audience and actors—
there are usually legitimate concerns behind this policy. If you think about it, as a
magician, your biggest asset is the ability to captivate an audience with a slight of
the hand. One video can expose your trick, impacting show profits and sales.
The same principle holds true in a business setting. If you don’t protect your
organization and employees from unwanted (or illegal) exposure, the
effects can impact your business for years to come. Trade secrets, proprietary
information and critical business strategies can be easily captured and dispersed
to competitors or other third parties. You can also be held liable for violating
personal privacy rights if you aren’t careful about documenting the use of
wearable technology. Employees might even use captured data to support
lawsuit claims or other litigation.
Ultimately, the issue is about privacy and protecting it for both the corporation
and the individual. As noted, privacy issues will be at the forefront of the debate
regarding wearable technology. Google Glass has barely hit the market but some
are already advocating for increased regulations. Privacy watchdogs in particular
are concerned about protecting personal privacy—particularly in light of the
recent revelations regarding the National Security Agency (NSA) and what some
viewed as a privacy infringement. Other legislation is in the works to control
when wearables can’t be used. Overall, it’s safe to say that the use of wearables
will face an uphill battle as demands to protect privacy and safety emerge from a
number of different sources.
For example, some restaurants, casinos, bars and theaters have already
banned the use of Google Glass out of fear that patrons or customers could
be photographed or recorded without explicit permission. In fact, in 2013, a
Seattle restaurant made headlines when it banned wearable technology to make
customers feel safe. It is likely that legislation will address where a wearable
device can be used and require full disclosure from users. In the interim, other
companies are asking employees to wear a plastic identification tag, much like a
security card, to alert others that they have a personal device in their possession.
Although Google Glass, for instance, is designed to flash a blinking light when it
is use, some aren’t convinced that wearables, or the person wearing them, will
accurately alert when they are or are not in use. Full disclosure is becoming the
expected norm, but enforcing compliance can be tricky, especially when some
wearables are small and nearly undetectable.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

To an extent, the healthcare arena has already tackled the privacy issue. You are
probably familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA). In brief, the legislation aims to safeguard private health information
across any platform. Healthcare organizations are also required to notify users if
there’s been a security breech regarding their personal information.
But despite these protections, HIPPAA policies don’t necessarily extend to regulate
wearables, even if the wearable is designed to collect data related to personal
health. In other words, while HIPPA compliance is mandated in healthcare, it
doesn’t extend to corporations. Few organizations outside of the healthcare
industry apply HIPPA standards—so far there is only one documented case where
a company adopted HIPPA and state security laws across the organization. The
California-based company Lark® which creates wearables that track sleep patterns,
unveiled a stringent privacy policy that weaves HIPPA elements with additional
privacy guidelines. For example, explicit consent is required to provide access to
sleep data and privacy protection policies are clearly outlined and enforced.
As an individual, to maintain personal privacy, read the fine print and pay
attention to measures designed to ensure data safety and security. Most
consumers object to allowing third parties access to personal information,
especially without their knowledge. Yet while some disclaimers say that
privacy is respected, if you read closely there might be disclosures that say
your information may be shared with third parties in certain cases. Read
privacy guidelines with a careful eye to fully understand how personal
information might be used and find out exactly how privacy is protected
from unauthorized access, use or reuse. Again, some apps and websites
promise that information will not be shared and provide opt-out options,
but it’s not always obvious how to do this.
Privacy is just one area that might see increased regulation with the introduction
of wearable technology. Other legislation in the works prevents wearables while
driving. The concern, obviously, is that using wearables while driving will present
a danger to both the individual and others around them. For this reason, some
believe it should be illegal to use wearables while driving or performing other
activities that require your full attention. A few states introduced legislation that
bans all wearables, including Google Glass, while driving. Google is aggressively
fighting those efforts.8 Opponents to the legislation, including Google, claim that
in some cases the wearables are less distracting than cell phones or GPS devices
because they don’t have to be held in your hand.
8 Kline, Daniel. “Google Takes on Laws That Ban Wearable Technology.” N.p., 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 June 2014.
<http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/28/google-takes-on-laws-that-ban-wearable-technology.aspx>.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

Use of Google Glass may also open up a host of legal issues—in some cases,
wearables use may violate existing laws. Today, anti-wiretapping or privacy laws
in some states prohibit recording private conversations without the consent of all
of the parties involved. In one case, an Ohio man was questioned about wearing
Google Glasses in a movie theater. It is a federal offense and considered piracy
to record movies in a theater, and the individual was detained and questioned
regarding his activities and intent.
Google is being proactive and established policies aimed to protect privacy and
define proper use. The company published a guide for those that use Google
Glass and outlines the dos and don’ts that individuals should practice when
wearing Glass. Google itself used the derogatory term cautioning users not to be
a “glasshole” and the phrase has caught on to describe any inappropriate use of
Glass. The guidelines touch on some obvious times you should avoid use, such as
high impact sports. It also suggests that they are not to be used for an extended
period of time. Overall, Google recommends that users adopt the same policy as
cell phones—if it’s not appropriate for a cell phone camera, it’s not appropriate
for Glass. Consider leveraging some of the guidelines created by Google across
your organization for any and all wearables. If nothing else, it’s a good starting
point to open dialogue and establish boundaries.
Since the rise of wearable technology appears unstoppable, it will face many legal
challenges to come. You can bet that further official guidelines and legislation
will be necessary to ensure that the implications of use are controlled and safe for
everyone. Companies will need to pay close attention to the debate to make sure
their organizations comply with any additional restrictions that are applied.
The dress rehearsal—ironing out the details
With so many challenges and business implications, many companies get cold
feet when they think of taking the show on the road. At this point, you may be
wondering if introducing wearables in your organization is even worth the effort.
Before the show takes to the stage, you might consider whether the theater will
sell out and if the show will be profitable. In other words, ask a fundamental
question: Will your company benefit from wearable technology?
Some say that wearable technology should only be considered acceptable in the
office if it brings value to the company or makes an employee’s life easier so he/
she can perform better.9 It’s a big undertaking, and if you’re only doing it to keep
up with other kids on the block, you might reevaluate its appeal. You will need to
9 “Protecting Data Against Wearable Technology Risks.” Security 500. N.p., 1 June 2014. Web. 17 June 2014.
<http://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/85549-protecting-data-against-wearable-technology-risks>.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

invest time and money in the process, and if there’s no business value, you might
consider postponing opening night. The bottom line? Look at the whole picture
before saying yes to wearable technology.
And, in many cases, organizations are saying no, despite the rising popularity.
According to a study from Tech Pro®, only 11 percent said their organizations are
using, implementing or allocating budgets toward wearables. Another 25 percent
said they are planning to implement but haven’t established a budget, and a
whopping 64 percent reported no interest or plans to deploy wearables.10
(Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Use of wearables across organizations
For some, despite the challenges to infrastructure and privacy, some companies
say there are tangible business benefits that outweigh any of the downsides.
Indeed, according to a recent study, wearables may improve productivity as much
as 8.5 percent and increase job satisfaction by 3.5 percent.11 Likewise, research
from Gartner® forecasts that Google Glass and other «smart glasses” alone will
help make employees more efficient, ultimately adding more than $1 billion per
year to company profits by 2017.12 And many employees are ready to embrace
the trend. A study from Cornerstone OnDemand®, a Caliornia-based technology
provider, found that 58 percent of employees would be willing to use wearable
tech if it enabled them to do their jobs better.13
10 Hammond, Teena. “Research: 92 Percent Are Interested in Wearables.” ZDNet. N.p., 2 June 2014. Web. 23
June 2014. <http://www.zdnet.com/research-92-interested-in-wearables-7000030054/>.
11 “Wearable Technology Can Boost Employee Productivity, Job Satisfaction: Study.” Tech Times RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 02 June 2014. <http://www.techtimes.com/articles/6396/20140503/wearable-technology-can-boost-employee-
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
productivity-job-satisfaction-study.htm>.
12 Starner, Tom. “Wearable Tech in the Workplace.” www.HREOnline.com. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 June 2014.
<http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=534356618>.
13 Ibid.

Some of the benefits are discussed in part one of this series, but what are some
real world examples on how it can improve your business? In other words, where
will you find true business value that can be gained by wearable technology?
As outlined in part one of the series, experts say wearables can help with simple
business tasks, such as:
• tracking mileage and business expenses more accurately;
• distributing business cards;
• gathering biometric data; and
• providing on-the-fly sales data.14
But wearables may have additional business benefits and show great promise in
the following areas:
• measuring employee productivity;
• monitoring employee activity in the workplace;
• allowing for collaboration and information sharing;
• enhancing workplace safety; and
• enhancing employee training through simulation and virtual
augmented reality.15
You might ask if wearables will improve productivity or help monitor key
business activities in your organization. Perhaps it will help track time more
efficiently and seamlessly log hours for payroll. With more automation,
employees will spend less time on busywork and more time with customers. It
might also have an impact on improving collaboration and information sharing.
Some of the wearable technology will make it seem as though teams are meeting
in-person, thus enabling a greater exchange of information and collaboration.
How will it enhance workplace safety? If your company is one that provides
installation or maintenance services, wearables might be beneficial because they
will allow employees in the field to access technical documentation or procedures
in real-time. Inspectors checking the safety of a fleet of tractor-trailers could
similarly use wearables to generate safety inspection data and regulations. In
addition, those who work in potentially dangerous environments will be able to
access data instantaneously and document information quickly.
14 Purdy, Kevin. “4 Ways Wearable Technology May Soon Benefit Your Business.” Workintelligently. N.p., 17 Feb.
2014. Web. 10 June 2014. <http://www.workintelligent.ly/technology/trends/wearable-technology/>.
15 “Wearable Technology Is Making a Splash in the Workplace.” The Inquisitr News. N.p., 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 17
June 2014. <http://www.inquisitr.com/1106532/wearable-technology-is-making-a-splash-in-the-workplace/>.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

Some say that the ability to provide more efficient and realistic training will
shorten onboarding processes, thus freeing up time for human resources and
other business functions. Wearables may guide new employees around the office
to learn the layout and keep track of new names and faces. Plus, providing
realistic simulations and augmented reality could make training a more hands-on,
interactive experience. Overall, experts believe that wearables will have the
potential to become cost-effective enhancements to internal training curriculum.
Are you curious as to what industries are using wearable technology? Figure
2. illustrates the industries that are implementing wearables. Not surprising,
healthcare has the greatest deployment of wearables, with 54 percent
reporting that they’re either using wearable technology or are in the midst
of implementing, or planning to implement wearables. On the flip side, 78
percent of government organizations have no plans to implement wearable
technology whatsoever.16
Figure 2. Industry implementation of wearables17
Opening night—are you ready for the
magic show?
If you’ve decided to jump on board and embrace wearable technology, it’s time to
make some magic happen. You need to make sure your company is ready to open
the doors and give the audience a good show. So where do you start?
16 Hammond, Teena. “Research: 92 Percent Are Interested in Wearables.” ZDNet. N.p., 2 June 2014. Web. 23
June 2014. <http://www.zdnet.com/research-92-interested-in-wearables-7000030054/>.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
17 Ibid.

After wearable technology passes the test on business value, it’s time to start
asking questions regarding usage and guidelines. You’ll need to explicitly
address when and how wearables can be used and outline a formal policy
that is distributed across the company. To get started, it’s a good idea to ask
and answer a few key questions to help shape your corporate policy. Some of
these questions are:
• Will all employees be allowed to use wearable technology, or will certain
types of employees be barred from doing so?
• Will anyone be required to use it to do their job?
• How will personnel be identified and approved for its use?
• Is it necessary to restrict capabilities, such as by disabling certain features?
• Where will wearable technology will be allowed or prohibited?
Answers to these questions will help build the foundation for a wearable
technology policy—to put it bluntly, giving employees guidelines designed to
protect both data and privacy rights is a “must have.” Within the corporation,
just like the BYOD trend, companies must outline exactly when and where
wearable technologies can be used, along with what is off limits. For example,
you may want to ban wearables in meetings or other key business interactions
to make sure nothing is being recorded without permission. Although Google
Glasses have a blinking light to let others know when they are in use, this won’t
necessarily stop people from using it in inappropriate settings—the same holds
true for other wearables.
Overall, experts suggest that policies and procedures should be driven by the HR
function. Particularly, HR teams should:
• review and update employment contracts and any applicable corresponding
social media or disciplinary policy to expressly prohibit the acquisition and
disclosure of confidential information through wearable technology;
• remind the workforce of confidentiality regulations;
• ensure that any monitoring of communications policy includes wearable
technology; and
• update dress code policies to prevent undetected use or make it easy to see
when someone is using a wearable.18
These are all critical activities that can help protect intellectual capital and
avoid privacy violations. More importantly, employees need to be reminded
of any existing policies related to confidentiality across the organization and
18 Wessing, Taylor. “The Wearable Technology Revolution: Is Your Workplace Prepared?” Global Data Hub. N.p.,
June 2013. Web. 07 July 2014. <http://www.taylorwessing.com/globaldatahub/article_wearable_technology_
revolution.html>.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

understand the same regulations apply to wearables. It’s really about enhanced
communication on how and when wearable technology can be used, and then
communicating this policy consistently across the organization.
Enforcing theater etiquette
You have the policies in place, how do you enforce them? Unfortunately, many
companies do not measure or evaluate compliance—even when it comes to things
like BYOD. In fact, in the area of network management, research shows that
93 percent of companies implemented network management tools to protect
data and unauthorized access, yet a mere 23 percent bother to review whether
networks are jeopardized.19 Research also shows that, despite the security features
offered by network tools, almost 65 percent of companies can’t differentiate
between wired and wireless devices on their network.
Enforcement of wearable technology policies is critical. A company should
conduct regular and frequent reviews to make sure network access guidelines are
obeyed. Human resource teams must be diligent—after all, if you aren’t following
up with wearable guidelines, there’s no point in establishing them at all. There
are activities that HR can do to monitor implementation of corporate policy. Some
of these include:
• checking disciplinary and grievance policies to ensure that employees are
expressly prohibited from bringing such devices into hearings and formal
meetings;
• enforcing policies and verifying compliance in order to avoid covert
recording and harassment allegations;
• regulating the use of wearable technology in the workplace; and
• expressly prohibiting the recording of individuals around the office, and
taking a zero-tolerance approach to such recordings.
What else can human resources do to get ready for the wearable revolution?
Mainly, it’s necessary to make sure everyone in the company is on the same page
when it comes to using wearables. Training sessions should spend time reviewing
guidelines in detail and provide real life examples on what is permitted. Be
clear and concise regarding use, and make sure employees understand the
consequences of misuse.
19 Rossi, Ben.“85% of the Public Sector Is Unprepared for the Impact of Wearable Technology on Its IT
Infrastructure.” Information Age. N.p., 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.information-age.com/
technology/data-centre-and-it-infrastructure/123457858/85-public-sector-unprepared-impact-wearable-technology-
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
its-it-infrastructure>.

In closing, these recommendations are just a starting point, and as employees
continue to introduce new wearables to the office, policies and procedures
will need to be updated and enforced. It will become a continuous process as
wearables become more commonplace. Just when you think you’ve outlined how
and when to use wearables, a new host of challenges may emerge that require
you to revisit the policy as a whole.
Oops … don’t forget to bring the magic hat
and wand on the stage
You’d be remiss to take to the stage without a magic hat and wand, just as
you’d be remiss if you didn’t address the technology needs that accompany
wearables. Overall, wearable technology will present challenges to the existing
technology infrastructure and may require significant adjustments. Just when
companies finally figured out how to implement BYOD, wearables are added
to the mix, adding yet another dimension of technology challenges. The
technology requirements for wearables could be a paper in itself, but a few
are outlined below.
Some of the technology challenges are the same as those presented by BYOD–it
will require IT teams to revisit big issues such as data security and network access.
You may need to bulk up your technology team and make sure that wearable
technology does not put your organization at risk. Simply, there will be more
opportunity to access corporate data—this will put data protection and security
in the spotlight. Accordingly, you might need to hire more people to manage and
monitor wearable access long term. Think about these costs in advance so you
aren’t caught off guard.
What about the costs of upgrading networks or using more technology to protect
corporate data? This could potentially be yet another investment required
from your organization, although you might be able to leverage mobile device
management (MDM) software that’s already in place. Some experts suggest that
companies should have, at a minimum, a personal firewall, antivirus software and
protection from malware. If you don’t have this type of software in place you
might consider investing in new platforms. Again, factor in the costs early on to
avoid any surprises.
As with BYOD, you should also consider what happens when an employee loses
a device or moves on to another company. You’ll need a way to make sure they
don’t leave with sensitive corporate data and that network access is terminated.
Likewise, if an employee loses the device, there should be remote capabilities to
delete data and access. Consider developing remote-wipe services to protect the
data from falling into the wrong hands.
© 2014 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

Other security services to explore include hard disk or file encryption, strong
authentication, secure communications, ensured integrity and digital signatures.
Security services such as these should be tested and configured for wearables
to make sure you can protect corporate data and access. At the very least,
think about requiring wearable users to protect individual accounts with login
authentication and strong passwords. This can help verify their identity and
prevent unauthorized access. It will also alert the organization when and how a
wearable is connecting to the network.
Ready to sell out the theater?
In truth, there’s no magical wand—most companies are still figuring out
how to implement wearables, particularly because it’s so new. But just as a
good magician gauges the audience before a show—your company should
do the same and view the level of interest and feasibility behind wearables.
Some are making it up as they go along and crossing their fingers that
wearables will not cause a major upheaval in the office. But just as you wouldn’t
risk sawing the lady in half unless you knew what you were doing, you shouldn’t
give the green light for wearables unless you’re positive it will work. Like BYOD,
you must establish guidelines and policies before moving forward. Figuring out
how to do this will make implementation easier in the longer term. And who
knows, your organization could turn out to be the next box office hit in the
magical world of wearables.
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