One of the biggest workplace trends in recent years has been “bring your own device” (BYOD). This allows staff to use their own personal devices for work-related purposes, whether this is a PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet or any other device. There are many perks to BYOD for both business and the employees, but it can also pose a few challenges and issues which every business owner will need to carefully consider. This is vital because it can be a security risk which is a concern when cybersecurity is such a large and growing problem. With this in mind, here is all that you need to know about BYOD for business.
Benefits
First, it is worth outlining the benefits of BYOD and why your company should embrace the trend. From the business’s point of view, BYOD can drastically reduce IT costs, it makes remote working much easier, and it can improve productivity because staff is using devices that they are already familiar with.
From the employee’s point of view, BYOD is helpful because it allows you to:
- Manage your workload on your own personal device
- Not have to look after two separate devices
- Keep on top of work no matter where you are
Potential Issues
There are potential issues with BYOD, though, which need to be addressed. It can be problematic because it can pose a security risk as the device could be an entry point to the company’s sensitive data. The device is likely to be used away from the workplace and often in a public setting which can be dangerous. As well as this, because the device is also used for personal reasons, it can create an issue in terms of what apps are used and websites are visited, which could be a threat.
Key Steps To Take
There are a few key steps to take which will allow you and your team to enjoy the benefits of BYOD while mitigating the risks. First, you need to create clear policies that outline what rules there are in terms of how a device can be used. This will help to protect the device and company data. You also need to educate your staff on how they should use their devices safely, including using complex passwords, data encryption, using a VPN when on public Wi-Fi and educating them on the latest threats and how to avoid them.
Another important step to take is to invest in high-quality endpoint security from a cybersecurity specialist like mcafee.com. This allows a company to protect each endpoint (device) along with the corporate network and business data through solutions such as endpoint detection and response (EDR) which is an advanced system; it can detect and investigate suspicious activities and respond to threats.
It is easy to see why so many businesses are encouraging BYOD because it can bring advantages to everyone, but you must also carefully consider the risks that this can pose and the steps that you need to protect the devices, staff, the business and customer data.