Employees enjoy flexibility and allowing a bring your own device policy may seem like a great idea. You save on the cost of electronics and your employees get to use a device they are familiar with.
However, the cost savings and convenience come at the risk of security. Before implementing a bring your own device policy, you should know and weigh the associated risks. In this post, we’ll go over 4 risks of these policies.
1. Employee productivity and inappropriate use
Personal devices such as tablets, smart phones, and laptops allow your employees to easily log into the internet. But just as easily as they can log into work applications, they can spend time checking email, playing online games or otherwise wasting time. Make sure that you can rely on employees to be productive if they’re using their own devices.
Sadly, this can create a liability for your company when personal time infringes on the rights of others in the workplace. It’s important to have clear company policy about how employees should use individual devices at work.
2. Data leaks from mobile devices
Mobile devices make it easy to get work done anywhere. Employees who bring their own devices can work easily at the office and at home, but mobile devices are also easily hacked.
When employees log into your company system through a mobile device, they can download sensitive or private information that is then easy for someone else to access. Have secure passwords and a download policy in place to protect company information.
3. Hackers invading your system
Securing company information is important. But passwords are not the only way to secure information. Hackers can get into your system through employee accounts. One common tactic is to send an employee a fake email that when opened, allows a hacker to get into the employee’s contact list. From there, they can gain access to all your employees.
Make sure to train employees in how to avoid being hacked as well as steps to take to keep your corporate system secure.
4.Device theft
The most common problem with a BYOD policy is device theft. It’s easy to forget a tablet at your lunch table or on the subway but difficult to get it back. Someone who steals the device then has access to unsecured data and apps.
You do not want access to your company applications and data falling into the wrong hands. Having policy in place to keep data secure, even on employee devices, prevents many of the problems with lost devices.
Having employees bring their own devices has both risks and advantages, but having smart policy in place can greatly reduce those risks. Beacon Telecom can help you implement the right services for your business’s telecom needs.
