Beware of BYOD trend wreaking havoc

By Michelle Drolet

Founder & CEO

Michelle is a prominent leader in data security preparedness, renowned for her extensive expertise i

3 Minute 38 Second Read

December 19, 2012

Bringing mobile devices to work? Not so fast.
Like it or not, the line between the workplace and the home is blurring. Work-at-home arrangements are becoming more common and cloud services make it easier to co-ordinate teams online. People are constantly on call, with the ability to check their emails and stay in touch wherever they are. The days of having a personal mobile and a work device are fast disappearing as the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend continues to grow.
A recent SkyDox survey found that 77% of information workers use their personal smartphones or tablets for work. A whopping 88% report that they need the ability to access work related documents outside the office. Allowing employees to use their own mobile devices for work can prove to be a real boost for productivity and it can also save companies a lot of money.
The downside to the BYOD movement is the difficulty of maintaining security. How do IT departments provide easy access to documents and files for a host of different devices and still ensure that sensitive material remains safe and workplace systems are not exposed to dangerous threats? How do they cope with lost or stolen devices? How can they safeguard company servers?
There is a clear need for the enterprise to establish a set of guidelines for the BYOD trend but it’s not clear how much control employees will accept when they are using their own devices. If a worker is issued with a company smartphone or tablet, then they are unlikely to question the company policy with regards to installing other applications or personal use of the device. When the device belongs to them they will obviously expect to be able to use it any way they like and to be able to install whatever they choose.
Security concerns have been serious enough that a Cisco survey found that 48% of companies would not authorize BYOD. The problem is that “57% agreed that some employees use personal devices without consent.”
Even if you don’t condone BYOD in the workplace you should still have a security policy in place. The risk of employees connecting to your networks and accessing sensitive materials is there and a draconian crackdown on personal devices is not going to be well received.
The good news is that you can circumvent the threat by allocating the right resources in your IT department. Ensuring security and providing support for a multitude of devices is going to represent a hefty cost but you can offset by embracing the BYOD trend because you’ll no longer have to buy the hardware.
Protecting your sensitive data has to be the key aim and so you’ll need to monitor the flow of data in and out. You also need a policy for when employees leave because they’ll be taking the device with them. The ability to remotely wipe data is supported on all platforms with the right apps so it’s simply a matter of arming your IT staff with the right tools.
There are a lot of different ways to approach the problem. Combine a sensible approach to monitoring and support with some education on risks for your staff and you can reduce the impact on your business dramatically. You may also consider mobile application management which focusses on securing the app or the data regardless of the device. This approach makes a lot of sense in the face of an increasingly mobile workforce.
The BYOD trend is universal and it represents a threat for businesses of all sizes. Since there is no wonder pill guaranteed to alleviate this headache each company should assess the risks and decide on a strategy that works for them. By embracing the movement and pre-empting any problems you can increase employee productivity and job satisfaction. The key thing is to act because failing to spend a little time and effort on this now could cost you a great deal further down the line.
In brief, some best practices might entail: