BYOD Security and Home Office

BYOD Security and Home Office

Although we’ve already touched on the importance of proper BYOD implementation in some of our past blogs on BYOD Policy and Home Office Cyber Security, the recent CoViD outbreak has added more urgency to the topic. Here’s a refresher on what you should look out for. 

Set the Rules 

BYOD (Bring your own device) has been a common practice at least since mobile phones gained to ability to provide internet access on the go. Nowadays, it’s part of work culture to check emails or chat messages on handheld devices (phones, tablets), access databases remotely, or book days off from home.  

Like every freedom, having access to sensitive data from anywhere comes at a price: it makes I.T. systems vulnerable to cyber criminality, computer viruses, hacker attacks, and more. Therefore, it’s in any company’s best interest to set down clear rules for BYOD usage and enforce it vigorously.  

Even a few simple steps will improve Home Cyber Security considerably. Ask employees to: 

  • Implement password protection on all devices that have access to sensitive data and to their home network 
  • utilize strong passwords or pass phrases 
  • access work accounts only via secured internet connections (no open WiFi connections!) 
  • not share login credentials or write them down where others can easily find them
  • keep hardware and software updated (security patches, system updates) 

To minimize the risk of cyber-attacks, it’s important to implement password protection on all devices that will be used in a home network – the chain is as strong as its weakest link and cyber-criminals are getting more creative every day. 

Sensitive Information, Sensible Protocols 

When dealing with sensitive information like customers’ personal data, bank account details, or medical records of patients, required security measurements go up even further and often have to meet legal compliance standards. Employers should make sure that access to sensitive information is restricted to those people who work with the specific data in question and that their security protocols meet the highest standards.  

Whatever the precautions may look like in specific cases, they need to serve the safety and efficiency of remote work accommodations as well as the protection of sensitive personal information of clients, staff, or patients. Insufficient implementation of BYOD I.T. protocols could not only result in a loss of trust in a company or institution but have serious legal and financial ramifications.  

Err on the Safe Side 

For industries that work with sensitive data, professional I.T. support is doubtlessly the best solution. Grip I.T. offers Managed I.T. and Cybersecurity Services that include Security Assessment, Threat Detection, I.T. Penetration Testing to assess a system’s preparedness. 

Simply put, we first play the devil’s advocate and launch a mock attack on your system to identify its weak spots. With the information gained from our tests, gaps in security can be addressed and preemptively fixed. 

Talk to our experts to learn more.