HelpDesk 855.694.6743
Sales 800.470.7001 | HelpDesk 855.694.6743
Even before many businesses transitioned to working from home due to the pandemic, nearly 70% of corporations allowed for employees to use personal devices for work-related purposes. [1]
Although convenient, allowing your employees to utilize their personal devices for work can bring on new challenges which is why it’s essential to create a bring your own device policy.
A well-constructed bring your own device (BYOD) policy ensures the protection of the network and software connected to your business while also protecting your employees.
There are many problems that can arise from unprotected device use for job-related duties. For example, if your employee is working from home and their network connection is not secure, hackers can easily get a hold of company data and breach the network. Not only does this affect your employee working from home, but also all other employees connected to your company server.
A bring your own device policy will provide a foundation of security for your company network and your employees using their personal devices to conduct business. Keep reading for the best steps to take to create a reliable BYOD policy for your company.
Not every device can be equipped to handle the software or servers that your company may need employees to access.
It is important to establish what kinds of personal devices are acceptable for your employees to use to ensure that they are capable of handling the job. Research what devices are best for the needs of your company and include a list of them in your policy. Be sure to also consider what new and most up-to-date technology is available.
Learn more:
Why you should invest in technology upgrades for your business
Employees bringing their own devices may require you to alter their technology to a degree to fit the demands of your company.
Your bring your own device policy should institute company rights that would allow for the alteration of your employee’s personal device if necessary. This would further assure you and your employee both understand the legal statutes that involve utilizing a personal device for work.
A bring your own device policy must always include statutes that require basic security for job-related personal device use. There are a few measures that employees can take to protect their devices from potential cyber threats or data breaches.
Data encryption should be implemented for all business matters when data is in-transit or at rest. This helps secure the personal device and the company network from being compromised during data transfers.
Another safety measure that can be implemented is password protection provisions. Requiring employees to change their passwords every 30 to 60 days is an excellent way to ensure the security of their personal devices.
Be sure to also provide IT support for your work from home employees at the same level as your in-office employees. By providing this resource to all your employees, you ensure the professional protection of all devices and business data connected to your network.
Learn more:
4 benefits of IT support for small businesses
A great way to limit corporate liability is by providing containerization methods into the personal devices. Containerization is the mode that allows all of the necessary applications and assets to be used with the limitations of access to using unauthorized programs.
There are different kinds of containerization efforts that will help your employees using personal devices keep business data access separate from their personal data. Both Apple iOS and Android devices can be configured to block the use of their respective app stores. Other kinds of configurations can be implemented too such as creating limitations to accessing programs besides those needed for business duties.
In the event that your employee has to leave the company or their personal device is compromised, data wiping is an important rule to add to your policy. This security feature clears a device of all data, including the user’s personal data, and restarts it to the beginning of the device’s memory.
You do not want to risk the possibility of data being leaked or given to another person by leaving access to it on a former employee’s personal device.
A bring your own device policy will benefit everyone at your company by providing clear measures that prevent security risks from affecting business matters on personal devices. Both you and your work from home employees can feel confident in being away from the office while utilizing their personal devices.
At NeverBlue IT, we help businesses across Central Florida and Southeast Michigan scale and grow with a comprehensive range of service-first IT solutions, backed by over 30 years of experience. Our managed IT services can assist with all aspects of your business technology, improving your operations and reducing your expenses.
Want to learn more about protecting your business?
Contact us today.
Source:
