Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By Robert Ramsey, Ph.D., CEO of Rain Technology
Data breaches and enterprise fraud are on the
rise, compounded by mobile work, whether in the office, remote or simply in
transit. Shoulder surfers, visual hackers, and snoopers are omnipresent. It is
imperative for enterprise IT to protect confidential information and ensure
regulatory compliance yet decrease the reliance on employees to be proactive
around information security. In some areas such as the Department of Defense,
more stringent controls are being put in place to enforce the protection of sensitive
data to mitigate the exposure of confidential information to adversaries of the
United States. To date, the only display technology being utilized to preserve
this privacy and confidentiality has been stick-on privacy screens - an
industry valued at over $1 billion. However, there are many drawbacks to this
approach, such as reduced visibility, interference with touch sensitivity, and
lack of remote IT policy controls. This solution just isn't good enough.
Imagine instead a world where IT can remotely
control the viewing angle of employee devices, such as laptops or mobile
phones, in order to reduce the likelihood of a leak of confidential
information. This functionality could be exploited by application developers or
be activated through geo-fencing or other IT policies, just like a GPS or
camera function on a phone. This is the world enabled by new embedded display
technology called switchable privacy.
Switchable privacy is a display technology
making its way across the technology landscape, from laptops to point-of-sale
terminals to phones. Enterprise IT will see device and display manufacturers,
as well as application developers, placing a higher priority on integrating
software solutions with new embedded hardware technologies to deliver increased
privacy and control at the source. Complementing cybersecurity strategies, this
holistic level of security aims to protect against threats to information security
by controlling how confidential information is displayed, accessed and shared
across internal and third-party applications.
The Evolution of OLED and LCD in Display
Innovation
At the forefront of this transformation is
OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology, renowned for its vibrant
colors, higher contrast ratios, and superior image quality compared to
traditional LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Although OLED may not yet be suited
to long-term use in environments such as automobiles, its adoption remains
widespread in premium devices such as smartphones and high-end laptops. With
Apple divesting in micro-LED, the innovation cycle for OLED will be extended,
as well as LCD. As manufacturers continue to innovate, OLED displays are
becoming increasingly ubiquitous, especially in the mobile sector, where models
like the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy series showcase their advantages.
However, the broad light emittance presented
by OLED technology creates additional challenges to control or direct the light
versus display technologies such as LCD. The need to control light emission
angles has prompted scientists in optics and photonics to develop and
commercialize solutions. By enabling this capability, new display technologies
will soon place the power of privacy directly in the hands of enterprises and
individuals.
Addressing Privacy Needs in the Digital Age
The increasing incidence of identity theft -
costing U.S. consumers over $10 billion in 2023 alone - highlights the urgent
need for effective privacy solutions. The market for privacy screens is
projected to grow significantly, yet the limitations of stick-on films, such as
reduced visibility, interference with touch sensitivity, and most importantly,
the inability to be controlled remotely by IT policies, demonstrate the need
for a better approach.
Embedded display technology promises to
overcome these drawbacks by providing a switching function in response to
manual or automated triggers from a button press to camera recognition of a
snooper.
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For users, this means enhanced
protection of personal information during everyday interactions, whether in
messaging, collaboration, or content consumption.
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For enterprise IT departments,
embedded display technologies will offer automated privacy enforcement
mechanisms. By aligning display hardware with IT policies, organizations can
enhance cybersecurity measures and protect sensitive information in physical
settings, regardless of where employees are working.
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Application developers will be
able to integrate privacy protections directly into applications - whether for
banking, gaming or social media. Whenever sensitive information is displayed or
entered, these applications will have the capability to enforce privacy
measures, thereby embedding security into the fabric of the user experience.
A Holistic Approach to Physical, Hardware
and Digital Security
As chief information security officers (CISOs)
increasingly recognize the multifaceted nature of risk, the integration of
hardware and software security measures will become essential. The interplay
between physical hardware and digital security will prompt organizations to
adopt a holistic approach that addresses increasing potential for
vulnerabilities at ATMs, POS systems, and remote and transient work by
employees. This cultural shift will prioritize comprehensive risk awareness,
enabling businesses to foster a more resilient security posture against
evolving threats.
Looking ahead, advancements in
hardware-software integration are set to transform privacy and security. In an
automotive context, these concepts apply to preventing driver distraction from
passenger entertainment screens. For example, a pillar-to-pillar automotive
display may have regions only visible to passengers, but not to the driver.
This will minimize driver distraction, reduce accidents, and meet passenger
expectations for infotainment.
The integration of embedded display
technologies represents a pivotal shift in how we approach privacy in our
digital lives. By empowering users, enterprises, and application developers
with innovative solutions, we can enhance personal security while fostering a
culture of awareness that addresses both digital and physical vulnerabilities.
As we move toward a future where privacy is seamlessly woven into the fabric of
technology, we can expect smarter, safer and more efficient interactions in our
everyday lives.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Ramsey, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert Ramsey, chief executive officer of Rain Technology, leads
operations, including customer project relations and technical team management.
Prior to joining Rain Technology, he was a research scientist at Agile
Photonics, a co-founded venture with research thrusts in nanophotonic display
technologies, novel nanolithography methods, and IR quantum dot lasing devices.
He holds a BS in physics, BS in electrical engineering, and Ph.D. in applied
physics from the University of Texas.