”Shhh” – the workplace walls have ears

With rumours circulating about a rift between Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over phone hacking, it might seem as if the tech war is confined to only the super-rich.

However, tech expert Andy Gilbert of Nottingham-based Space Data Centres has warned against complacency closer to home and in the workplace.

‘With one of the most successful Christmas periods for AI and voice enabled device sales now fading into the background, it is prudent to consider a note of caution. Voice assistants have become part of many UK’s homes and increasingly, the workplace. 

‘This presents certain risks and issues with regards to information security and maintaining control of where your business critical data is held and handled.

‘Large or small, every day in every business across the UK conversations of a private nature are held, without fear or concern as to whom else can hear. You wouldn’t discuss a confidential matter on the bus, in earshot of strangers so why would we do the same in our own offices? 

‘In order for these AI assistants to grow and learn, they have to record, review, process and store, the information they are given and the conversations and sounds around them provide this data. As with many automated technologies, this data is always sample reviewed by human workers. 

‘The more we as UK business providers allow our guard to drop or for our judgement to be blinded by the benefits these devices bring, the more the opportunity we provide for critical business information to be misused. 

‘Sure it is useful to be able to set a meeting reminder by voice but is it worth the risk? Only time will show the impact this self-made vulnerability will have, but I honestly don’t think it will be long before we are reading about the latest data breach brought about by infiltration of an office AI assistant.’   

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