Fellow blogger V. Srivinasa Rao recently wrote an interesting post about the Global
Distribution Model 2.0 that is launching soon. The model holds a lot of
promise and is a great framework for implementing mobile global communications
tools.
Today, the fastest rising communications and computing
technology is mobile. And while this development provides exciting possibilities
for improved project efficiency, it does not come without risks. I'm focusing
specifically on devices with a mobile operating system, such as iOS, Android,
Windows Phone 7, Blackberry or Nokia.
The reason for my concern is the
speed of adoption for the devices. They now play a role in every project I
manage. It may be simple communications such as email between team members, text
messaging and calendar functionality, or more sophisticated uses such as remote
access to project data, project management software or even video conferencing.
Yet 90 percent of the time, I find that no one is really thinking through the
implications of using this technology.
Think about it: With this
expanded communication comes an increased risk that your project's confidential
or critical information could be exposed, intentionally or unintentionally.
This information can be controlled fairly easily by IT departments on
laptops, but mobile operating systems don't allow for the same kind of security
just yet. You must be wary of how information may be getting communicated over
your mobile device.
Information "attacks" can come in several forms. At
an event where "free wireless access" is offered, for example, someone who wants
to gather data illegally can set up a US$50 wireless router, name it "[Event
Name] Wireless" and watch as attendees innocently connect their devices to
communicate with the rest of the team. Simply leaving your Bluetooth enabled in
public locations can open you up to attacks.
It doesn't even need to be
something that devious. All that needs to happen is for one of your team members
to lose a device that has regulated data on it. In the United States, you'll
have to officially report the incident to the Federal Government.
The key
takeaway here is that as our world expands, we are being given exciting new ways
to coordinate and communicate with our team members across the planet. We should
take full advantage of this. But we should do it with our eyes open.
Article by Geoff Mattie for Voices on Project Management
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