HI there, 

STEP INSIDE THE INNERCIRCLE:

your monthly recap to stay connected with the world of Smart tech and Smart life.

SECURING TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEW HYBRID WORKPLACE

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, an internationally recognized campaign to bring awareness to the importance of cyber security. 

This year’s global theme – Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart – highlights the line between our online and offline lives, which has become increasingly indistinguishable, particularly after the past 18 months. The theme is also intended to empower individuals and organizations to implement stronger security practices, raise community awareness, educate vulnerable audiences and train employees about security risks.

As hybrid work models take hold and Smart technologies gain popularity both in the home and at the office, these concerns are more pressing than ever as hackers look to take advantage of a wealth of new cybersecurity risks. 

In fact, one study out of Florida tech alone found that the smartphone companion applications of 16 popular smart home devices contain "critical cryptographic flaws" that could allow attackers an entry in. 

As a first step, it’s imperative to determine responsibility for a workplace’s cybersecurity  – understanding the difference between OT and IT  – and ensure everyone is aligned with best practices.

PRIORITIZING SECURITY, PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY

Closely linked to cyber security is data privacy, which InnerSpace puts at the core of our indoor location platform.

It’s an important subject in light of recent events, as many countries implemented data-driven systems to monitor and track the spread of COVID-19 – unprecedented surveillance and data exploitation that infringed on rights to privacy. At the beginning of the pandemic, we wrote about this issue, and the question of what is reasonable to expect people to disclose about themselves and their whereabouts in the interest of public health and safety. 

Here this October, we feel it’s a good opportunity to remind readers that InnerSpace technology tracks only patterns of movement – and not actual individuals – via the InnerSpace sensors or existing access points that capture the WiFi signals of each person’s smart device. In so doing, it stores no personally identifiable information, and complies with the gold standard in privacy: the GDPR guidelines. 

• InnerSpace sensors and existing APs collect, temporarily buffer, and then forward data via an encrypted, secure connection to cloud servers.
• These servers are inaccessible to the public and are only reachable by the InnerSpace operations team via a protected private network.
• InnerSpace application servers collect and anonymize data prior to processing. The data is protected and stored within a private network and inaccessible to the public.

In other words: this is not CCTV. There are no video cameras and nobody is watching. It’s impossible to establish identity, as we’re tracking population-level metrics, not one person’s travel patterns. Furthermore, users are free to opt out at any time by switching off WiFi and Bluetooth if they have any concerns. 

You can read about our full privacy policy here. 

HOW WILL EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY USE YOUR SPACE?

For companies that seek to deploy hybrid workstyles, it can be challenging to figure out how people actually use spaces within offices. One global leader in lodging and hospitality turned to InnerSpace not long ago to use our platform to understand how two distinct teams worked in and moved around their spaces – and, as a result, see what their true needs were. 

Using the WiFi signals of each person’s smart devices, we helped this client identify key workplace behaviors and patterns of movement – and, as a result, inform office design, resourcing and seating assignments. Importantly, this was not just occupancy data – which is essentially people-counting data with which companies can’t reliably build, manage and measure hybrid workspaces. 

Instead, indoor location data answers deeper questions, such as: When do these employees come – and how often? Where do they work and migrate? Such insights reveal true behaviors and patterns of different teams, helping companies tailor spaces within their spaces as well-suited as possible to each department.

Read more about the findings in our latest post.

NEW IN SMART TECH

Speaking of privacy, Amazon has unveiled even more new tech for inside the home – screens, robots and drones that watch and listen. This is in keeping with the retail giant’s annual foray into invasive home-based technologies. 

Hey, here’s a word we didn’t think we’d write today: analprint. Down the pipe comes news of Smart toilets with sensors equipped to analyze our waste and gain information that helps monitor health and nutrition.

Toilets didn’t, however, flush their way aboard this list of top Smart home trends for 2021, which include AI, touchless tech, thermostats, exercise, security and… privacy.

IN OUR SPACE...AND YOURS

• We’ve got some exciting resources under development for you, including a brand new guide that goes beyond occupancy to show you step by step how InnerSpace technology can help you leverage the actual behavior of your employees to transform your space. 

This new guide will:

• • Bring clarity to how and why to deploy InnerSpace
  • Demonstrate how not only the technology – but the data you’re receiving – becomes truly transformative
  • Show you why “occupancy only’ is insufficient to build, manage and measure a hybrid workplace 
  • Go beyond ‘how many’ to ‘who, when, how often and where’...and more.

Look for it to launch next month!

• InnerSpace was profiled in recent overviews of the global indoor location market by MarkNtel Advisors, and Algos Online. 

That's a wrap... 

Thanks for reading, for subscribing, and for being part of the conversation. Stay safe this fall.

Stay well,

YOUR TEAM AT INNERSPACE