Business owners define their own policies when it comes to cybersecurity and how to mitigate the impact of a disaster. The policies applied to devices that are used for business purposes must determine the requirements for the employer and all workers. It cannot leave any room for error and must ensure that all workers comply with IT standards and regulations. If they don’t, it could mean serious penalties for the company. Is a bring your own device policy the right answer?
What is a BYOD Policy?
A bring your own device policy allows workers to bring their own devices to the workplace and perform all work tasks on their own devices instead of devices or computers owned by the company.
It is a great option for telecommuting workers and any contractors that connect via a virtual office design. When using these policies, the computer must adapt to using managed it services instead of their own resources. Overall, it could save them money and avoid major issues.
How Does It Help Companies?
Companies don’t have to maintain or replace any of the devices, as they are owned by the workers. With these policies, companies are trusting their workers to manage their own devices, and the workers are responsible for any repair services that are needed. The companies do not have to pay any of these expenses or face a crisis because of these issues. However, the drawback is that the company cannot determine the downtime for the worker and cannot check with the company’s repair contractor for updates.
It Doesn’t Require Additional Training
Companies won’t face any additional training requirements for their workers, and the workers will know how to use the devices already. However, this could mean that the company faces the expense of connecting a new device each time they hire a worker. The costs can be significant, and the company could face some compatibility issues if their workers are not using the same operating systems or platforms.
Makes Employees Feel Safer When Performing Tasks
Some workers may feel more secure when using their own devices. This could be a great advantage for the company and its workers. However, by using their own device, the security schemes apply to the software that all workers use and not their individual devices. The company can add the device to a security and protection plan, but the worker must keep the protection active on their device for the protection to work properly.
The Workers Upgrade and Update Their Own Tech
The company doesn’t have to spend the time or money to upgrade the tech for the devices or ensure that all workers have the same technology. This is a great way to save money, but it could present some difficulties. For example, the workers must upgrade their devices themselves, and they don’t have an administrator doing it for them. If the worker doesn’t keep the updates and patches scheduled regularly, they may not apply when a cyber-attack happens and make the data vulnerable to outsiders.
Business owners who allow a bring your own device policy must complete more risk mitigation than other companies. The reason is that there are too many variables involved with the policies. However, if they set up managed services, an off-site administrator can control security for all devices that connect to the company’s network.