This week's podcast guest really got us thinking about how we use our mobile phones. Bryan Glancey, CTO of Optio Labs joined us in the IT Time studio to share his thoughts on securing mobile devices in the age of BYOD. Bryan has a rich technical and security background, leading organizations like Samsung, Motorola and Mobile Armor. Bryan's extensive experience in the field makes his approach to mobile security unique: he believes in taking steps to secure the one element of your mobile device that can be the most unpredictable...you.
What do you love most about your mobile device? Do you love the ease in which you can lift it from your pocket and in a matter of seconds open a camera to snap a shot of your dog? Do you love learning about a new time-saving app from your favorite tech blogger only to have that same app downloaded and in-use in less than two minutes? If we had to guess, we would bet that your device's quick and simple usability contributes to your affection.
During the podcast, Bryan addresses an interesting dichotomy between the user's love for a simple personal experience and the professional demand for security while checking email and accessing company data. Adding protection and security takes away from the simple, convenient experience. Would you love your device as much if you had to navigate two-factor authentication each time you wanted to take a picture? The conflict is real and developers are being challenged to create easy to use software that can be regulated and protected without affecting the overall experience.
Let's be honest, you need to be able to play games and annotate a document for your boss without either of those experiences affecting each other.
So where are we heading? Bryan discusses what he sees for the future: 'mobile-first' design and functionality attitudes, more granular security controls that keep personal user experience simple and user profiles that 'follow' you from device to device. All sound like great things to us...as long as we can still play Angry Birds.
