The present tech-savvy generation finds comfort and flexibility in using their personal devices for work purposes, and organizations are keen to adopt BYOD policy, for it increases productivity, reduces cost, and can be implemented at scale with the help of solutions like Mobile Device Management for BYOD.
BYOD comes with attractive benefits as well as implicit BYOD challenges, that an organization needs to consider before the implementation.
Here we are listing out the factors that you need to look at to know if BYOD is the right fit for your organization:
Using personal devices for work gives employees enough flexibility to work on their assignments from any place and at any time. Also, a modern-day employee is tech-savvy and typically has high-end, advanced equipment, which impacts their performance.
Before bringing in BYOD, organizations need to identify if BYOD will significantly impact employee productivity. Key questions to ask are:
Seeking and comparing answers to these questions will help you identify if BYOD would really help improve the efficiency of your workforce.
Allowing the same devices to use for personal and professional use can expose more vulnerabilities, thereby increasing threats to sensitive information and applications. Common device vulnerabilities are:
However, there are ways to mitigate these risks. Mobile device management allow IT teams to set up and implement stringent device usage policies. MDM for BYOD can help track and control registered devices remotely, wipe or clean sensitive data in case of loss or theft, install malware protection software to track and quarantine malicious activities.
User devices these days are not limited to PCs, laptops, and smartphones. Smart tablets, Chromebooks, Wearables etc. have barged into corporate systems. Also, devices come in different configurations and operating systems.
Typically, you would want to track and manage all user devices that touched your corporate network. This is an uphill task for your IT team to identify different types of devices, locating them, managing and securing them.
The key challenge is to maintain network security, identifying non-compliant devices, and juggling disparate tools for different devices. Through a sturdy Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution you can get help to control and secure multiple different devices from a single console.
You will need to identify your system and network vulnerabilities, possible threats and analyze risks involved before integrating BYOD into the mainstream. Some risks may include:
You will need to evaluate the damage (cost, data loss, brand image, etc.) should a risk become a reality. You will also need to put in place a risk management plan to mitigate or dissolve risks.
Any technology (IT system) that is being used without the organization’s knowledge or consent is Shadow IT. Chances are your employees are already using their devices for work, for instance, accessing office email on their smartphone. Mostly these incidents happen without any malicious intent, still, they can introduce security threats.
You will need to identify shadow IT resources and define clear policies on how to use personal devices for work and ensure such devices are registered before use.
Defining usage policies and setting standards on paper is achievable. But BYOD presents compliance challenges, and it is difficult to ensure that employees are following rules and guidelines prescribed. To ensure compliance you can:
BYOD will bring into picture legal issues when IT would need to gain access to employee devices or employees will need to access sensitive information. Legal complexities that could arise:
Before rolling out BYOD, organizations need to set up robust policies and mechanism to avoid such issues and guidelines to handle exceptional events.
Though employees prefer to use their own devices, they might be wary of IT administrator monitoring or tracking their devices. They may feel stifled or risk losing their privacy. Organizations need to ensure that the privacy of employees is not compromised while implementing BYOD security policies.
BYOD is a win-win for both employers and employees, provided a careful assessment is performed, unambiguous policies are developed, secure workflows are established, and employees are educated.
To know how Scalefusion BYOD Management is making a difference and providing support to businesses, visit us at scalefusion.com.
Vandita is a passionate writer and IT enthusiast. By profession, she is a Computer Lecturer at the University of Delhi and has previously worked as a Software Engineer with Aricent Technologies.
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