Success with BYOD Draws a Fine Line Between Security and Privacy

Running a business is expensive, no doubt about it, and one way that you can circumvent at least part of these expenses is by implementing a Bring Your Own Device strategy for your business. Not only can it save you money, it can also be more sustainable for the environment and improve productivity. However, you first need to address the elephant in the room: security.

Let’s go over what a Bring Your Own Device policy entails, and why it’s such a popular strategy in the business world.

Why Does BYOD Work?

BYOD as a policy involves your employees using their personal devices, including smartphones or laptops, for work-related purposes. There are several benefits to this for both parties involved. Employees enjoy using devices they are familiar and comfortable with, leading to greater productivity, while employers don’t have to foot the bill for providing technology to their employees.

Simply put, Bring Your Own Device offers mutual benefits to both the employer and the employee, which is why it’s such an attractive option, assuming you can address major problems like security and data compliance.

How to Avoid the Challenges of a BYOD Policy

Make Sure You Have a Plan

Before committing to a decision, you should consider your strategy and do some research into what you are implementing. For example, if you are going to store data, then consider who is going to access it, where it’s being accessed from, and which devices you can and cannot control.

You can start by classifying your data according to who should be able to access it, i.e. levels of permission based on user role. You should organize these permissions based on the principle of least privilege, only granting access to those who really and truly need to use it. This should cut down on the odds of your accounts being accessed illegitimately. 

Get Ready for Frustrations

You can’t expect BYOD to be the silver bullet solution to all of your mobile device problems, as there will likely be issues during the implementation process that will need to be addressed. For example, will BYOD really stand up to the expectations that your team has for it, and will your employees see your attempts to promote secure practices as a threat to their privacy?

We always encourage transparency when it comes to security, as a little honesty about your intentions can go a long way toward assuaging any ill feelings your team might have on the matter. You can also lighten the news a bit by providing ways to make security easier than ever, like providing tools such as a password manager or antivirus solution.

Balance Privacy and Security

A BYOD policy is effective as long as you can maintain an appropriate balance between privacy on your employees’ end and security on your business’ end. You should adopt policies that allow you to remain secure, responding only when you deem that a threat to your infrastructure needs to be addressed or if you need to rein in control over certain types of data. With the proper configuration, your BYOD policy should be able to handle any issues you throw at it without stressing your team out too much.

Let Us Help You Along

BYOD doesn’t have to be a challenge. Let BNMC help your business address the many issues that it could pose before you begin implementation. We’ll help your policies take flight without a hitch. To learn more, call us today at (978) 482-2020.