Time to draw up a workplace policy on the Apple Watch?
As early-adopters of must-have gadgets salivate at the thought of the newly unveiled Apple Watch, cybersecurity experts are warning that it could add another risk to business systems. Concerns have already been flagged up by experts of the risk from employees using their own devices for work or connecting them to workplace networks and businesses are advised to have ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) policies in place but wearable technology such as the Apple watch bring new dangers. Ken Westin a security analyst at Tripwire says the use of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi creates risk: you can bet security researchers and hackers alike will be poking and prodding the watch to find new vulnerabilities as well as take advantage of existing attack vectors leveraging weaknesses in both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth” he told Infosecurity Magazine. There is also the dual risk from its ability to be tracked, raising both privacy and personal safety concerns. While many of these issues can also be said of smartphones, the functionality of wearable tech may depend more on the very things that may also increase risk; something to consider for business users.
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87 per cent of disasters are climate related says UN
This Saturday world leaders and representatives from businesses and organizations will gather in Sendai, Japan for the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. As a stark warning of the importance of the consensus on tackling global warming, the UN’s Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) says that climate change is now responsible for 87 per cent of disasters.
Since the Hygro Framework was introduced following the Indian Tsunami of 2004 there have still been multiple disasters with cost to lives, economies and insurers. Margareta Wahlstrom of the UNISDR commented: “Despite many successes and greatly improved performance in disaster management, it is sobering to note that 700,000 people have died in disaster events over the last ten years. A total of 1.7 billion people have had their lives disrupted in some way. It is of great concern that economic losses in major reported disaster events come to $1.4 trillion.”
The World Conference is due to adopt a major revision of the Hyogo Framework for Action which will guide disaster risk management efforts for the next ten to 15 years depending on the time frame adopted by the Conference.
Workplace health programs can be highly beneficial
Programs promoting healthier behavior to employees can be of benefit to them personally and to the business. A report published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine focused on a workplace program that reduced risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. The study followed 89 employees at Bayer in Robinson Township, PA who were at risk from the diseases. Over a year it helped them cut their body weight by an average of 5 per cent and reduce their intake of sugar and fat. Their level of physical exercise almost doubled. Ninety-six per cent said they benefitted from the program being in the workplace and ninety-nine per cent would recommend it to colleagues.
