If used correctly, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategies can increase productivity among employees, as many people enjoy the flexibility of UYOD (Use Your Own Device). However, the risk of BYOD is significant, if not managed effectively.
With cyber crime costing the world £1.2 trillion in 2019, it’s evident that it could end up costing you significantly more money than purchasing a few extra laptops!
Before rolling out a company-wide BYOD policy, it is worth carefully considering the convenience of UYOD, versus the security of your company. It’s better to be prepared, than to leave your business and your employees vulnerable to internal and external threats.
If you do decide to support B/UYOD in your company, here’s a checklist of things to consider that will help your employees to remain productive, and your business to remain safe.
Specify approved devices
It’s worth clarifying how many devices per person you’re willing to approve so that you can keep track of them all.
Take an inventory of employee devices accessing your network
Similarly, taking a regular inventory of personal devices being used is vital. This will help you to ensure that each device is sufficiently protected, as well as making it easy to spot any new devices trying to access your data that you’re not aware of.
Have clear and consistent security and data ownership policies for all employees
Having consistent policies across the board will make life a lot easier for everyone involved.
Clarify the level of IT support that will be granted to each personal device
Having clear parameters for the support employees will get from the business if their personal devices break or are attacked is really important.
Conduct periodic audits of your BYOD policy
Staying ahead of the curb is without a doubt our number one tip when it comes to Cyber-security. Conducting audits of your policy will ensure that you are protected against any vulnerability to attack with devices that are not business owned.
See our progressive Cyber-security services that we can deliver, led by our experienced team here.
BYOD creates a lot of flexibility for employees and does often mean that employees are quick to get to work as they’re comfortable with their own device.
However, there are significant risks involved that must be considered before BYOD is established across your organisation.
It may be more cost effective to get your team corporate network devices rather than invest in the security, auditing and policies involved with BYOD.
Better safe than sorry!