Introduction
Technological advancements and innovations have been growing at an unforeseen pace. Almost every aspect of our lives is integrated with some type of technology. While we continue to surprise ourselves with what we create, adaptability needs to be not only considered but also incorporated into new technology. We can only imagine the great benefits that technology can bring but we have to be able to adapt not only our technology but our regulation for the unpredictive consequences that these new technologies bring with them.
When new technology is created, we can only imagine how great it will be or even what others can use it for or benefit from. On the other hand, we cannot always predict how others will use these new technologies or the negative consequences that will come along with them which is why adaptability needs to be incorporated for better and more secure protection.
The “Short Arm” of Predictive Knowledge
The “Short Arm” of predictive knowledge in reference to the unforeseen consequences that new technology brings perfectly describes why the incorporation of adaptability is so necessary. The “short arm” explains how there is only so much we can foresee coming from new technology and there is an infinite extension to the “short arm” that comes along with it. Infrastructures and cyber-policies illustrate the need for adaptability in order to evolve and change with technology.
Given the “short arm” of predictive knowledge, we need to approach the development of cyber-policy and infrastructure with adaptability as a major factor. In many situations, older technologies were created without having adaptability being a concern which is why there are so many outdated policies and infrastructures that require recreating rather than adapting. They were built with the intention and idea of what was needed from them and not what else could come with them. Over time, older technology as well as infrastructures have had little room to be modified and have also introduced many security issues which has caused many of them to be replaced. Just how with working with technology, you never can truly plan for certain things to happen and not happen and just have to adjust as things occur, the same mindset needs to be applied when developing cyber-policy and infrastructures. Technology is changing constantly and at an extremely fast rate which means that for cyber-policies and infrastructures to last at this rate, they need to have the flexibility to adapt and be modified based on the environment at that time. Having the ability to modify and adapt would not allow for better data security but it would also prevent waste of time and material. Especially when it comes to cyber-policies, they should not be set in stone types but instead policies that can be changed and altered to accommodate the constant changes and advancements.
Cybersecurity in the Biological Sciences Industry
On one side of the spectrum, we can see the unforeseen consequences that come with cybersecurity issues and the biological sciences industry. Advances in technology have benefited the biological sciences industry but there have been few technologies and policies that have had adaptability incorporated into them. One example is DNA viruses, while it might sound crazy this illustrates the “short hand” perspective. When technology and policies were created to analyze DNA stands and how to regulate it, no one would have predicted that DNA could have been modified to create viruses when analyzed. This is where adaptability to not only modify the equipment but also adapt policies to regulate these types of concerns.
If it is not computers, often we don’t take security into consideration when creating new technology in other areas. A strategy that should be implemented to safeguard labs would be to incorporate security to work alongside the developers. When technology is involved, there is a need to incorporate how to protect it while it is being created rather than at the end or after it has been attacked. Especially in order to adapt and modify things when unforeseen situation occurs, having security being a major factor in the creation will provide flexibility to prevent such consequences from occurring or prevent them from continuing. When it’s not computers or phones, many times security isn’t a priority but today so many things are being linked to the internet without having good security implemented in the development which leaves us with many vulnerabilities. Adding firewall protection to any device that connects to the internet would also be a good strategy to incorporate. One other strategy that should be implemented to safeguard labs would be using VR machine environments. They prevent mistakes from becoming detrimental to organizations and they allow for more security. In the example of DNA viruses, security patches could be put in place to identify possibly modified DNA.
Opportunities for Workplace Deviance
Now on the other side of the spectrum, we can see the unforeseen consequences that technology has brought into the workplace. This example is a bit more common, but it also perfectly illustrates the need for adaptability not only with technology but especially with policies. Today we use not only our computers, but tablets, phones, and watches to work. Remotely working from home has also become popular, especially when Covid hit. Having the ability to adapt and modify devices to these situations has been a work in progress, but the incorporation of these devices in the workspace has also created a lot of deviances. Policies need to be flexibility in order to make the workspace not only effective and efficient but also secure.
Two ways that cyber technology has created great opportunities for workplace deviance is through the use of computers and cellphones for personal use rather than work and giving too many permissions and privileges to users who have no need to have them. Almost all jobs use computers, tablets, or cellphones as equipment for work. If organizations do not monitor what sites can and cannot be accessed, we find employees scrolling through Facebook or watching YouTube videos. With remote jobs becoming more popular, this opportunity increases. You can find endless funny videos or people on Zoom meeting with their video off and doing something else on their computers. I know I personally have wasted hours at work on social media or watching Netflix when I was not actively working. This down time was meant to be for training but binge watching The Office sounded more appealing. By bringing in these technologies into the workspace, permissions and rights can create great deviance when not properly assigned. Having too many privileges and being costly for a company if the employee has malicious intent. They could delete valuable files and information, or they could make changes to jeopardize a co-worker if they wanted to. Humans are the weakest link in protecting data, and accidentally having more privileges than needed with not enough proper training can be dangerous too. I have seen insistences where someone accidentally deleted a file on a shared drive without knowing what they did. Not having the proper access put in place can lead to rework or complete loss of data as well. Adaptability in policies can help minimize the amount of workplace deviance that technology introduces.
Conclusion
In summary, technology is constantly changing which leads to constantly having to learn and change things. So much can be done with these advancements but so much cannot be seen ahead of time. Understanding how to create technology that is adaptable as well as having cyber-policies that can be modified to undertake new situations will allow for better protection of not only information and security but will also minimize the amount of wasted resources by allowing technology to adapt with change rather than be phased out but the next better thing. There is still so much to be understood about what creating new technology will bring which is why adaptability needs to be a more crucial and integrated part.