It is one of the biggest questions that a learning design professional will take time to think for a while before answering it. Information or data Security is one of the biggest threats to a learning design Professional, when he discusses about mobile learning.
There are many uncanny thoughts that come to his mind such as:
- Can the content be hacked?
- Will the organization be sued or liable for the damages caused, if the mobile content is misused?
- What are the deadly consequences, if the content falls into the hands of competitors?
And, I do feel that these concerns are well justified. In today’s time, we are more prone to fall prey under such threats or risks (knowingly or unknowingly).
Why Are Mobile Devices More Prone to Such Threats?
You might be thinking, as to why we are of this opinion that mobile devices are not a secure means of learning or storing information because:
- You might lose your smartphone.
- Your mobile content can be hacked.
- You may keep your mobile device at an unsecured place.
So, what’s your take on that? Should we stop thinking about mobile learning? Is mobile learning on the brink of getting obsolete? Let us see the answers.
- Encrypt Data for Security: It is important to set a password or encrypt your data for more security. Whenever the learner tries to access a particular mobile content, there should be a passcode which should be enabled prior to the usage of the content. Even when transferring the content, it is better to send it through HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) rather than the oldfangled HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).
- Restrict Your Access to Mobile Content: Mobile devices have the advantage of using a unique identifier. Some examples include using a device fingerprint. Here, the user has to login through these identifiers. Restrictions will pop-up if there is a mismatch of User ID. Another method of frontline mobile content defense is to use API (Application Programming Interface) keys to restrict access.
- Track your Mobile Content: There are many platforms such as Google Analytics, which enable the user to track on a real-time basis.
- Manage Your Mobile Content: With Mobile Application Management (MAM) in place, you can manage the mobile applications when used in business or learning settings.
Thus, putting it together, hope there is an encouragement from mobile users. They now understand that there are ways of making learning secured. And, the fear of mobile learning getting obsolete has subdued a lot.