UPDATED: October 30, 2023
Gone are the days where employees are expected to be always in the office on a desktop computer. They've been replaced by laptops, tablets, phones, and any other interface they can get their hands on. And with new devices comes new rules you need to put in place to keep your business safe. Additionally, you must have a plan in place to make sure your BYOD policy is effective for your employees.
You probably already have a plan in place. It's no secret that 2020 changed the world but in all honesty, it's been changing for a long time. Companies don't always dig into their pockets for new computers, so employees have been working from their state of the art computer endpoints for some time now.
But maybe you're a small company with less than 50 employees or maybe your company just got new computers and you set each employee up with their own logins including top of the line security for those endpoints. But guess what? You employees are logging in from their personal computers. It's inevitable. They're sick and their top of the line computer in at the office, no big, they'll just login from their personal computer that still has Limewire viruses from 1999. Maybe one of your sales rep is out at lunch and decides to check on the website updates their marketing team has made from their phone. They toggle over to their CRM account and login. Once they do, your system is immediately compromised. As you can see, even if you're protected, BYOD policies and plans are a necessity across the board.
If your company is ready to begin a bring-your-own-device policy, begin by answering these basic questions:
- How much access to company files and applications do you want your employees to have on their device?
- Should employees be able to download files onto their devices?
- What types of devices are permitted?
- How much technical support will you be offering to your BYOD users?
- What tasks will your employees need to do on their devices?
- How will you enforce security and compliance for the BYOD policy?
- How will your business protect itself if the device gets stolen or lost?
The most basic principle of a good BYOD policy is security and central management of your business’s assets. Cloud-based technology offers the best in both. With an active-directory approach, the employer or CIO uses software to manage employee access to the company network through their devices. Contrarily, an application-based approach to MDM management brings to mind the "there's an app for that" mentality. It is important to review the pros and cons of both methods prior to deciding which BYOD solution is right for your business.
Pros and Cons of BYOD Solutions
Active-Directory BYOD Solutions
PRO: In an active-directory solution, access is granted to employee devices based on permission-based security. Centralized management software allows the employer to assign permissions to each user name, defining which files and applications the employee can access, read, and download. Each user has unique credentials within the active directory, allowing the business to monitor activity on the network.
CON: This pushes some legality boundaries. Make sure you're including a contract for your BYOD policy, this makes sure that any remote access from a BYOD endpoint is kosher with your business/employee relationship. Additionally, there could be some wonky transference if they're hopping from device to device.
Application-Based BYOD Solutions
PRO: In an application-based BYOD solution, the user downloads a secure application onto their device which allows them to access company applications remotely. The application secures and monitors the user’s activity.
CON: The major con of this solution is that the applications require some end-user technical training. Like any new software, your company may experience a small transitional period while your employees learn to regularly use secure mobile applications correctly.
Which BYOD Solution is right for you?
BYOD is prevalent in every business, regardless of industry. People have more screens than you think, and as long as they have login credentials, your data is at risk. Make the right choice and secure your screens today.
Find out the best way to leverage it today by contacting a certified consultant at Centre Technologies.
Emily Kirk
