According to an inside firm doc obtained by Motherboard, Amazon plans to watch how its staff use their keyboards and mice to stop buyer knowledge leaks. The retailer is reportedly leaning towards licensing instruments from an organization referred to as BehavioSec.
“The software does not rely on personally identifiable information or other static data,” a FAQ page from BehavioSec states. Instead, the corporate claims it makes use of “behavioral biometrics” to generate a profile of how somebody sorts and makes use of their pc. Its software program then makes use of that profile to confirm {that a} hacker or imposter hasn’t compromised an worker’s gadget. BehavioSec’s web site lists Cisco and Deutsche Telekom as “partners,” suggesting Amazon would not be the primary firm to make use of its software program. Amazon reportedly checked out different worker monitoring options. However, attributable to “challenges around collecting keystrokes data,” concluded it was greatest to show to extra “privacy-aware” fashions like BehavioSec.
In the doc, Amazon claims it wants such software program to fight varied safety threats. The firm factors to not less than 4 circumstances the place its safety crew recognized incidents the place somebody posed as a service agent to acquire buyer knowledge. “We have a security gap as we don’t have a reliable mechanism for verifying that users are who they claim they are,” the corporate states within the doc.
With extra of its staff working remotely because of the pandemic, it is also anxious a few greater danger of “data exfiltration.” Amazon factors to a number of hypothetical situations it needs to guard itself in opposition to, together with one the place a customer support worker forgets to lock their pc, and a nosy roommate steals the corporate’s knowledge. By 2022, it estimates the software program might assist it scale back imposter takeover by 100%.
“Maintaining the security and privacy of customer and employee data is among our highest priorities,” Kelly Nantel, director of nationwide media relations at Amazon, informed Engadget. “While we do not share details on the technologies we use, we continually explore and test new ways to safeguard customer-related data while also respecting the privacy of our employees. And we do this while also remaining compliant with applicable privacy laws and regulations.”
While Amazon’s causes for contemplating BehavioSec look like well-intentioned, the corporate does not have the very best historical past with worker monitoring software program. A latest report from CNBC discovered Amazon’s Mentor app was far too overbearing to do its supposed job successfully, and it might needlessly penalize drivers for issues like going over the occasional bump on the street.
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