Although automation and technological advancement are considered essential to businesses nowadays, these innovations could also introduce threats to companies and their customers. Over-networked systems may reduce headcount and speed up information processing, however, they leave companies vulnerable to cyber-attacks. If someone were to hack into schools, internet-based transportation networks, smart home technologies, or legal institutions, they could threaten public safety. For example, someone could hack into a university database and gather information on student names, social security numbers, and bank information. Elements of these institutions that should never have access to the internet especially include safety alarm systems and security cameras. If someone exploited a vulnerability in a smart home’s alarm system, they could potentially break into a house, threatening the safety of the residents.
The cheese company case study demonstrates the power of scaling back technological innovation. Had the CEO of the company ignored the woman who pointed this out, the solution to reduce digitization would have been lost. This means the company likely would have kept spending money trying to bolster its network security rather than being mindful of what information is better stored or handled in the physical world. Implicitly, lower-ranked employees are not supposed to challenge the CEO, especially in a company founded by the CEO’s family. Furthermore, women are often expected to avoid conflict and appease the men in the room. By speaking up as a woman to a higher-ranked employee, the woman took a big risk. Her decision was especially risky because she suggested going backward, rolling back the company’s dependence on innovation in favor of older strategies. It was critical that the woman spoke up because most other people in the meeting were reluctant to envision a strategy that didn’t involve enhancing technology. Sometimes, an obsession with innovation can blind companies to the old-school solutions that would better suit their needs.
The lessons from this case study can be applied to my team’s current project. As we build an app that helps people make progress toward social habits, we want to make sure to protect our users’ safety and privacy. Thus, we should be mindful of how much information we ask them to share with us. A scenario in which they constantly share their location, for example, would be very helpful for keeping track of who they’re spending time with and for how long. If someone were to hack into our app, however, they could access our users’ locations, threatening their day-to-day safety. Overall, our team must remember to balance the excitement of data collection with the protection of our users.
