Companies are cracking down habits of remote workers. Using tools like keyboard tracking software, employers can keep tabs on their employees whilst they are working outside of the office.
Now, it might be even harder to keep your work under wraps as new software is set to launch that could film office workers all day long at their desks.
The new tech is being developed to continuously monitor workers at their computers to improve cybersecurity and guarantee only authorised personnel have access.
BT has been testing this continuous authentication software at its Adastral Park science campus near Ipswich, and it’s currently in the 'proof of concept' phase.
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The tech goes beyond facial recognition seen in Microsoft's Authenticator and actually has the potential to ‘track the user’s emotions in real time.' So the software can send alerts if someone looks rather tired or stressed, suggesting they take a break.
Following its demonstration at BT's annual cybersecurity festival earlier this month, some teams are expected to start testing it next month.
Instead of just checking when someone logs in, this new software would continuously film users with a webcam or front-facing camera, verifying if their face matches the expected dimensions.
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While this idea may sit uncomfortably with many, the company reports 2,000 signals of potential cyber-attacks every second, which is still going up.
As a result, BT argues that as cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, businesses need to adapt.
Coupled with the increasing use of AI, businesses are now in an ‘arms race’ to protect their customers and their data, former British Intelligence Officer Ben Owen warned.
Continuous authentication tech could help in various ways, like ensuring that if a laptop is stolen while it's unlocked, it still can’t be accessed if the criminals' biometrics don’t match.
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The video is designed specifically for this and so will not be shared with bosses and other workers. Instead, if someone unexpectedly approaches the laptop and attempts to log in, the software could automatically lock the machine. But it still feels as though an invasion of privacy on some levels.
Owen explained that those most at risk come from the physical world like employees handing over their access pass for cash or due to blackmail, or simply forgetting to lock their computer when stepping away from their desk.
This can become even more dangerous in remote working when employees could be distracted by home life and potentially fewer security procedures are in place.
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But not everyone is on board with the emerging technology such as Susannah Copson, legal and policy officer with civil liberties and privacy campaigning organisation Big Brother Watch.
She pointed out that the potential rise of ‘so-called “emotion recognition” technology’ raises serious legal issues, as well as risks of inaccuracy and discrimination, posing new threats to workers’ rights.
She told Metro: "The government should act on calls from technology experts and human rights groups around the world and ban this pseudoscientific AI surveillance."