Infrastructure
Tips for Overcoming Barriers to a Smooth BYOD Program
Bring your own device, or BYOD, is a concept that took hold after the invention of the smartphone. Over time, mobile device use has overtaken desktop use for many work tasks.
Bring your own device, or BYOD, is a concept that took hold after the invention of the smartphone. Over time, mobile device use has overtaken desktop use for many work tasks. According to Microsoft, mobile devices make up about 60% of the endpoints in a company network and handle about 80% of the workload. But they are often neglected when it comes to strong cybersecurity measures, especially employee-owned devices.
BYOD differs from corporate-owned mobile programs. Instead of using company-issued devices, employees use their personal phones, tablets, and sometimes computers for work. Many businesses find this approach the most economical way to keep their teams productive, since purchasing devices and wireless plans for all staff is often out of reach financially. It is estimated that 83% of companies have some type of BYOD policy.
You can run a BYOD program securely, but it requires putting the right practices in place. Too often, business owners do not have a clear picture of which personal devices are connecting to business data or what information may be stored on them.
Define Your BYOD Policy. If there are no defined rules for BYOD, the process cannot be expected to be secure. Employees may leave business data unprotected or connect to public Wi-Fi and expose their business credentials without realizing the risk. A formal policy protects the company from unnecessary exposure and can also address specifics like compensation for employees who use personal devices for work.
Keep Your Policy Current. A policy that becomes outdated loses relevance. If employees notice that one directive is stale, they may disregard the policy entirely. Review and update your BYOD policy regularly to reflect any changes that affect it.
Use VoIP Apps for Business Calls. Before the pandemic, 65% of employees gave their personal phone numbers to customers, often because they needed to connect with a client away from their office phone. This creates problems when an employee leaves the company and customers do not know why their calls are no longer answered. A business VoIP phone system solves this. These services include mobile apps that allow employees to make and receive calls using a business number from any device, keeping personal numbers private.
Create Restrictions on Saved Company Data. Remote work has expanded the BYOD challenge beyond mobile phones to include personal computers. Regardless of device type, you should maintain control of business data. Restrict the types of data staff can store on personal devices and ensure that any business data on those devices is backed up appropriately.
Require Device Updates. Unpatched personal devices can expose your network to attack. Any endpoint connected to your systems is a potential entry point for a breach. Endpoint management solutions can push automated updates and allow you to enforce security standards on connected devices, protecting business data without unnecessarily intruding on employee privacy.
Include BYOD in Your Offboarding Process. When an employee leaves your company, their personal device may still have access to business email, cloud platforms, and saved passwords. A thorough offboarding process should address removing business data from personal devices, revoking persistent logins, and deauthorizing devices from your network.
Let Cyber One Solutions Help You Explore Endpoint Security.
Securing a BYOD program does not have to be complicated with the right tools in place. Contact us today for a consultation. We will assess how your company uses personal devices and recommend the best approach for your situation.