3 Things to Consider in Your BYOD Policy
Are your employees working on their personal devices? If yes, then your organization needs an airtight BYOD policy that is right — both for you and your employees.
We are a society of connected workers.
86% of Canadians own a smartphone, three out of four adults have laptops, and tablet users are also not far behind. All this makes the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture a feasible and smart approach, which many employers are keen to adopt.
Just look around your workplace — chances are that you’ll find many of your team members already using their personal devices. Being able to type on your own laptop or to save business contacts on your own phone is far much easier.
If you are a Startup, employees bringing their own devices can lower overhead and capital costs. Your company can pay for cloud-based platforms and grant or deny access at will. This helps in saving on new equipment investments.
On the other hand, allowing employees to bring in their own laptops and tablets can easily become a headache if not managed right. BYOD culture needs a well-defined security strategy —the absence of which can make your company data more vulnerable.
So, how do you establish a BYOD culture that is more secure? Here we help you to develop a BYOD policy that checks off all the right boxes.
1. Your Employees Should Understand the BYOD policy
There should be an understanding of the BYOD policy within every employee of the company. You can take help from I.T. administration, risk management, human resources, and other important departments.
Each representative can add to the BYOD policy based on his or her expertise. Make sure to encompass everything that can help protect your business. In the case of company documents, images, etc. get lost/stolen, or an employee leaves the company, develop a plan to recover or destroy them.
Once you devise your BYOD policy, ensure that you train your staff on it and help them recognize what it’ll mean for them. When you make a hire, talk about what type of devices will be acceptable, and what kind of control each party will have on the devices.
2. BYOD Policy Should Not Put Stress on Employees
Assure the employees that they are not expected to work outside office hours. As they use the same device at home and for work, some employees feel that they’re expected to respond to every buzz or phone call. The last thing you would want is to stress or overwhelm them.
Regularly check with them if they’re feeling any pressure with the BYOD policy. Keeping communication open with your employees helps you identify the concerns before they grow into bigger issues. It will also help you know if you’re risking any talented performers because of your BYOD policy.
3. BYOD Policy Should Address the Cybersecurity Concerns.
A single cyber-attack can ruin your reputation and cause a public outcry. Your BYOD policy can become a cyber-risk if not given much consideration.
Think about implementing an identity management system to secure your workplace. This can offer a high-level overview and user-by-user controls, giving only essential parties access to sensitive data.
The purpose of a BYOD policy is to enormously reduce the likelihood of accidental alterations, data loss, or misuse by current or former employees.
Please remember that security isn’t just for your organizations. You also need to take into account the privacy of your employees. Consequently, your BYOD policy should lay out protocols in the event the data needs to be retrieved or erased.
At GRIP I.T., we suggest our clients just not to make BYOD happen by chance, rather take control of its evolution and constantly monitor its impact on your business. This way, you can stay ahead of this new work world trend.
Reach out to our team and take advice on how you can capitalize on BYOD policy benefits and minimize your security worries.