This post brought to you by 3M. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Unfinished Man.
Security and privacy go hand in hand, and in this day and age, it’s all the more important that we’re keenly aware of both. As someone that travels around the world for a living – often using my notebook computer in public – I’ve come to appreciate the importance of protecting my work from prying eyes. As you’ll see in a moment, I mean this in the truest sense of the word.
You see, hacking comes in many forms, and someone can learn a lot just by looking at your screen. Over the years while attending travel events, I’ve often noticed – out of the corner of my eye – people focused on my screen. Some of it was probably innocent daydreaming, but perhaps not all of it. After all, it’s a competitive world out there. That’s why I added 3M™ Privacy Screens to my security arsenal, a tool that everyone should have, from corporate types to students, to travel bloggers like myself, everyone should take this simple step to further protect their privacy. Working in public, working in an office… doesn’t matter.
Being able to shield my screen from prying eyes while maintaining perfect screen clarity as I work is truly invaluable.
So tell me, have you ever worried that someone was giving your computer screen more than a casual glance? Since I first discovered and wrote about the 3M™ Privacy Screens a few months ago, I’ve spent time at many more work events in many more countries, and I continue to find the 3M™ Privacy Products integral to my peace of mind. Why give up working in public spaces (something I greatly enjoy) when I can just pop one of these filters onto my screen and not have to worry about visual hacking at all? It’s a bigger problem than many people realize.
Did you know that, according to the “Visual Privacy Productivity Study” carried out by the Ponemon Institute in October 2012, more than half of those surveyed said their visual privacy had been violated: 69% in the workplace; 55% while traveling; 51% in public areas? Personally, I can’t say I’m too surprised.
Technology and worker mobility are allowing sensitive information to be accessed from almost anywhere and using a wide range of devices. That’s exciting for “mobile workers” like myself, but it also creates a much greater opportunity for visual hacking and other forms of privacy and security threats. According to the same study carried out by the Ponemon Institute, a visual hacker may only need one piece of valuable information to get away with a large-scale data breach. Pretty crazy, right? Under that light, protecting your screen from visual hackers sounds like a much better option; certainly less expensive too!
So let me ask you once again, have you ever had an experience with visual hacking? If so, how did you deal with the situation? Share your stories in the comments below and let’s have a discussion. Security affects us all, and together with the help of some useful tools like the 3M™ Privacy Screen, we can make some simple changes to protect ourselves.
Learn More About Visual Hacking
Learn More About 3M Privacy Products.
