Before we begin discussing the problems associated with “Bring Your Own Device,” let’s take a look at some statistics from DataInsider.
- 82% of companies allow employees to BYOD
- 90% of US workers use their smartphone while at work
- 40% of data breaches occur due to lost or stolen devices
- 50% of companies are breached via employee owned devices
The phenomenon of employees bringing their own laptops, tablets, or smartphones to use for work purposes is nothing new. It has been done for years. It can be a real lifesaver when employees provide their own devices, especially when traveling is involved. Unfortunately, BYOD can also pose some security issues as shown in the above statistics.
Our society is used to being able to work at anytime, from anywhere. That means in airports, hotels, on the commuter rail, at coffee shops, and pretty much anywhere someone can carry their device. I have even seen people working on their devices while driving to work. (I would not recommend this.)
Bringing your own device basically means that you provide the tech and use it to conduct business whether it is via emails, accessing data, or adding the finishing touches to presentations. The constant connectivity allows most workers to get their jobs done, and done well.
Bringing your own device, however, has its risks. Here are a few concerns that business leaders will want to consider before allowing employees to use their own tech at the office or on the road.
Security Questions:
The more places where company data is located the more difficult it is to protect. What are your rules about keeping company data on devices? Do you require a password protection? Two-factor authentication? Do you have specific rules about where and when they can access sensitive data given the lack of security on public Wi-Fi?
Records Management:
If employees are allowed to conduct business on their devices, how will you keep track of who is accessing company data? Do you have a protocol for maintaining records? And, what happens when an employee moves on from a company or, worse yet, is terminated? What happens to that information that is owned by the company? These are questions you and your IT department will want to consider and create a policy regarding. Setting up a policy prior to allowing BYOD is always a good idea.
Data Backup
Disaster Recovery becomes a little more complicated when employees have data on their smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Many companies are requiring mandatory backups for BYOD so even the most recent data will be able to be restored post disaster.
What is your company’s BYOD protocol? Do you have one yet? Contact M&H about how to deal with these issues and more with your employees and data contained on their own devices. Call M&H Consulting at 1-866-964-8324 or visit our website.
Categorised in: computer, Computer Support, Devices, IT Consulting Services, mobile issues, Security