If you are a nurse working in a hospital, there are so many cases where you need to have an access to confidential or sensitive data such as the patient’s records in order to perform your duties efficiently. However, when you receive the sensitive records on your phone or tablet, these will still remain on your device even after the day is over. This is where the problem about confidentiality enters. Who wants their records to be flaunted and accessed by strangers?
Virginia Tech is brilliant, and they seem to have devised of a way that could offer a viable solution to the confidentiality problem. The system allows mobile phones to access data in a specific physical location and then erases the data from the phone when the person leaves the area.
The team that designed the system modified the existing Android mobile OS to create the system, and of course, they are not willing to divulge how they modified it. Aside from the data wiping capability, the system can also be used to disable certain phone functions in a specific area. For example, preventing photos from being taken in a “no picture” zone, or blocking texts in the classroom.
Military applications are also possible with the system. Military officials could use their phones to have access to classified information without worrying about the phone being stolen or lost once they leave their base. Spies who are planning to take snap shots or access the stolen device won’t be able to do it. Because it will be erased based on the location of the device. No word on when this system will be available for general use.