The Simple Solution To The Technology Trust Crisis

The Simple Solution To The Technology Trust Crisis

As the Internet of Things sits on the precipice of revolutionizing how we live and work, the world is facing a trust crisis. The blame is all too easily placed on bad actors, such as hackers, however the truth is this is a crisis that is borne by institutional leaders.    

First, let’s consider the meaning of trust in the context of technology. Trust in the connected world is built on two things; security and privacy. Can we as individuals trust that the device we are using, whether a smartphone, a smart home appliance or a connected car, is truly secure? Do we have any confidence that our personal data is not being used or sold without our consent? 

Many leaders, namely CEO’s and government officials, are participating in the rhetoric on security and privacy. The conversation is more common than ever before and there are even conferences dedicated to discussing the problem and possible solutions. Trust though is not built by talk. Trust is based on evidence, evidence that comes together to form trustworthiness. 

The answer to the crisis is a simple one. We must own our individual data and be given the transparent choice to monetize or otherwise leverage it. The problem only becomes complex when organizations put profits before ethics. 

Governments can enable the solution as they have the authority to put legislation in place that sets the ownership of personal data in the individuals hands. To meaningfully address the issue, the legislation must proactively protect personal data and not just reactively enforce penalties on organizations when data is comprised. 

It is the economic, social and ethical, responsibility of technology leaders to build security and privacy into their products by design. The ask is not a tall one. First, build products that have security ingrained in each layer of the product and commit to no backdoors. Second, respect that an individual’s personal data is theirs and do not profit from the data or use it without their consent, which must be transparently obtained. 

Today, many players in the technology industry associate data with profits and may need to reimagine their business models without it. In actuality sustainable value is mutual, between the industry and end users, and is enabled by trust. It is well-noted that there is a very strong positive relationship between trust and GDP and it is natural to assume this correlation will only grow.

The benefits of being increasingly connected are vast, from improving the detection and treatment of disease, to enabling developing countries to grow and many more applications that have not yet even been explored or defined. Leaders have a responsibility to build credible trust between technology and people, for this potential to be realized.    

The technology sector knows there is great power in simplicity. Let us apply the same standard of simplicity to data privacy.

John 

Taylor Bolin

Business Strategy & Marketing Consultation

6 年

First of all, John, thank you for keeping BlackBerry in the market! I’m really glad to see that you put this post together, I would be really interested to see how blackberry could benefit from increased security. I know many people are becoming more aware of their personal data is being misused and it seems like this could be a big opening for consumers and especially businesses that value the privacy and security that nobody really offers in the mobile marketplace. BB10 was ahead of its time- if only it could’ve been released sooner, we now seen iPhones using the same gestures! That or make blackberry smart devices which have secure apps for Android and iOS. You have some of the underlying tech already with The BES work you did for Apple devices I’m sure

回复

Is it me, or am I missing Chen's mobile objective? I will agree that using Android on a BB device was a great idea, but it did not reach the market penetration I though it would, particularly in the enterprise space. Even more so, their management server UEM has been an omission for years and it has evolved nicely. I feel they have missed a vital opportunity to truly participate in the enterprise and offer a viable option to iOS devices.?

Alexandre Charles Matti

If it’s beneficial for both of us, send me a message.

6 年

Great article John! Glad to have people like you in that field.

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John Macy (FAHRILife)

Founder and MD at Competitive Edge Technology Pty Ltd

6 年

Great article John. I agree with your ideals about data privacy, but people have been warned about what happens to their data if they indulge in social media. Someone must pay the bills for running the infrastructure and data is the saleable commodity that makes the business model work. If there is a sign “beware of sharks” people will still go in swimming. My concern is data handed over to employers as part of the employment event. People don’t have a choice and no control over their data once their details are recorded in the company’s HR database. Technology and legislation can solve this problem. HR software companies can re-architect their products to call employee data from a secure private blockchain network. It is a simple design based on the principles of components, microservices and API connections and secure gateway access to private data that requires authorisation by the owner. I just posted an article last night on the trust layer that helps make personal data private: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/hr-blockchain-focus-2019-implementation-john-macy-fahrilife-/

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