How to Increase Productivity: What’s Really Scary? Not Knowing How Much Access to Your Info Your Apps Really Have

how to increase productivityHow to Increase Productivity

Most folks know that I’m all about saving time. After all, that’s what I do for a living – teach my clients how to increase productivity by determining customized ways to save time.

 One way how to increase productivity is through the use of technology. As society becomes more reliant on digital technology, more and more folks are turning to apps on their smart phones to allow them to stay connected to their co-workers, employees, clients and documents. How wonderful to be able to have everything you need for work at your fingertips – whether you’re at the top of the Eiffel Tower or in a port-a-potty at a construction site. That’s how to increase productivity! Or is it? 

Here’s a scary question you need to ask yourself:

Do you know how secure and private your information is when communicating or sharing docs through apps?

Researching on How to Increase Productivity

I’m always on the hunt for a better way to do things. While researching how to increase productivity, I came across an article entitled Security Researchers Freak Out about New LinkedIn Mobile App. I think the title says it all, but please feel free to click through and read it.

While trying to load the Evernote app onto my new smartphone, I was surprised by the Terms & Conditions that needed to be agreed to before the download could proceed:

Evernote needs access to:

Storage – Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

System tools – Prevent phone from sleeping, toggle sync on and off

Your location – Approximate (network-based) location, precise (GPS) location

Hardware controls – Record audio, take pictures and videos

Your accounts – Add or remove accounts, create accounts and set passwords, use accounts on the device

Your personal information – Read calendar events plus confidential information, read call log, read your contacts

Phone calls – Read phone status and identity

Network communication – Full network access

System tools – Install shortcuts, read sync settings, read sync statistics, run at startup

Development tools – Test access to protected storage

Hardware controls – Control vibration

Network communication – Google Play billing service, view Wi-Fi connections, view network connections

Your accounts – Find accounts on the device

Excuse my language, but Holy Crap! That is a heck of a lot of access to private information. I did not feel comfortable at all in giving this much free reign to another entity, so Evernote did not get downloaded onto my new phone. Nor will I download LinkedIn’s new app.

When data gets hacked, there’s usually a massive amount of time lost while trying to correct the situation. In some cases, there are a lot of funds lost, too. Losing time and losing money equates to a loss of productivity.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather use “less connected” ways that can help me on how to increase productivity than give that much access to my private information to strangers.

I’m curious…Am I the only one out there who’s concerned about privacy? What’s your take on this?

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About Helene Segura

Helene Segura teaches go-getters how to use their time more efficiently in order to have a more peaceful life. For details about her, be sure to visit https://www.HeleneSegura.com

 
4 Comments
  • Nacho Eguiarte
    Posted at 12:18h, 31 October

    Part of the downside of technology. We get more control o better time management loosing privacy. So, the choice is go as far as you feel comfortable. Don’t go just because is trendy or apparently beneficial for your time.

    Thanks for sharing.

  • Patti
    Posted at 07:06h, 01 November

    I’m very concerned and have been looking into ways to minimize my info being handed over to anyone. Thanks for the head’s up. This is horrifying.

    • Helene Segura
      Posted at 07:51h, 01 November

      It is pretty scary! I spoke with an IT expert about this, and she doesn’t use anything in the cloud because of this. Kind of ironic…an IT person not relying on cloud technology for storage. Like Nacho (a previous commenter) said, we have to find the happy medium we’re comfortable with.

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