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Cringeworthy or not, U.S. adults are spending half of their day interacting with media, according to a recent study from Nielsen. Whether we’re watching, listening to, or reading content, we are connected. This reality is rapidly changing the way we communicate and learn – a sentiment you’d probably get if you were to ask any learning and development professional in workplaces across America. (Learn the essentials of security in The 7 Basic Principles of IT Security.)
The way we consume media is disrupting the way we learn at work. And the proof is in our spending. Corporate training is an estimated $130 billion market, and digital media is a huge portion of the market size. L&D leaders rely heavily on video content to keep workforce learners engaged. In fact, the classic “how-to” video is the second-most popular type of video on YouTube. Many companies have followed suit, forging the conversion from traditional training materials to online video learning libraries with DIY-like content.
Microlearning is spurring further disruption for training developers, creating a need for easier access and faster production to keep pace with even more unorthodox learning approaches. As a result, the number of video content creators and different departments owning content is growing. The high demand for new types of learning content is elevating the value of video content for companies.
The Stakes Are High
The sheer volume of video content and owners in the enterprise can be exposing your organization to external risks. Think about the amount of confidential company information your team has on video, from new-hire training that has protected trade secrets to sales enablement content your competitors would love to know about. L&D often handles personally identifiable information for all of your employees. There’s too much at stake if your video technology fails to meet industry standards. (Learn about some of the consequences of cyberattacks in How Cyberattacks Affect Share Holders and Board Members.)
GDPR and Video Compliance
Privacy has been one of this year’s hot topics, and for good reason. We’ve had a few big data breaches at high-profile companies like Equifax and Facebook. GDPR went into effect in May, and companies that do business around the world are starting to feel it. Interviews with corporate treasurers by Thomson Reuters found privacy ranked No. 2 among their topics of concern for 2018.
Your video technology may be an area of your business where you are overlooking privacy standards and inadvertently failing to comply with GDPR. There’s too much at risk: damage to your organization’s reputation, legal and compliance problems, and hefty monetary fines. This is why privacy matters when it comes to your video technology.
Protect Your Video Tech
Here’s what enterprise organizations concerned about privacy and data breaches should expect from their video technology:
- Legal compliance: Your team is worldwide, so your provider must be GDPR-compliant.
- Up-to-date technology: Seek a platform that uses the latest technology, allowing your teams to collaborate from anywhere.
- Security by design: The security of your work should be a top priority. You need world-class service and enterprise account management with application security and access control.
- Proactive testing: Your provider should be proactive, not waiting for an attack, but performing regular application, network and process testing and monitoring.
- External controls: Your provider should hold third-party vendors to its data privacy and protection standards.
- Best-of-class hosting: Top-tier hosting and infrastructure will keep your content online when your team needs it most.
The consumption of media, especially video content, is not likely to slow down. Companies should be looking to increase the speed of production and expand the volume of learning opportunities to keep up with employee needs and employer goals. However, organizations cannot allow the overwhelming pace of digital media to overshadow the crucial requirements of maintaining security, privacy and control.
