BYOD Security: Balancing Risks and Rewards

Security: Balancing Risks and Rewards

Riskope thanks Paige Calahan for this post.

Bring your own device (BYOD) campaigns involve companies allowing employees to use their own smartphones, tablets and laptops for business. It’s a great perk for employees because they remain connected to their own gear with some financial compensation, and businesses receive more productive and satisfied employees.

With all that activity between devices in a cloud computing space, BYOD can “compromise your company information if [employees] don’t have the proper security on their devices,” states iPost.

So, how do you balance the risks and rewards of BYOD? Here are some things to consider:

Create a Company Policy

Employees tend to be more productive when they’re able to use their own customized devices rather than everyone using the same company devices. Nonetheless, it’s important to set company policies on BYOD.

BYOD campaigns will succeed if companies set ground rules from the beginning, says Ryan McInerney on Norton’s website. Ask IT professionals what you can do to increase the BYOD benefits without leaving your company susceptible to a cyber attack.

For example, ask employees to set passcodes on their phones, Lookout says. It’s a widely overlooked, simple measure to prevent unwarranted access to data. Additionally, companies should encourage safe web browsing and cautious use of mobile applications.

“Be safe when browsing,” McInerney says. “Don’t download apps from unknown sources. Watch out for phishing emails and texts. All the advice you think would apply to smartphone users is even more important when it comes to a business environment.”

Calculate Costs

A majority of U.S. IT managers believe BYOD programs increase productivity, explains Joey Devilla of Globalnerdy. And, you could save time and money, even with the price of devices and security, because more work is completed in a shorter amount of time.

So, calculate the costs. Consider how much it would cost to equip your workforce or a specific team with devices, data plans and other equipment. Is it less than writing off the cost of employees’ existing devices or data plans? Is it less than maintaining and upgrading your current devices?

Secure Data

Beside your standard BYOD policies, ensure that your data always is secure. Mobile device management tools help businesses control their data in-person or remotely.

An MDM tool like the one offered by Blackberry can help you lock and wipe multiple devices. This helps you control your data even if the device is lost or stolen. Additionally, you can separate work and personal data, which not only provides a better work-life balance but also ensures that you can wipe your company data if the employee quits or is terminated.

Overall, the health of your company is the priority. Once you set policies, upgrade security and educate employees, you will enjoy the increased income, productivity and employee satisfaction.

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Category: Consequences, Hazard, Mitigations, Risk management, Tolerance/Acceptability