Overcoming Challenges, Creating Effective Policies, and Mitigating Risks to Maximise Benefits

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) constitutes a major opportunity and a challenge for enterprises. BYOD means that employees use personal devices to connect to an enterprise’s network, access work-related systems and possibly, sensitive data. Personal devices may include smartphones, personal computers, tablets or USB drives.

Personal devices are more likely to be used to break into corporate networks, whether they are approved by IT departments, because they are less secure compared to corporate devices.

So , it is critical to address the BYOD security risks for enterprises of all sizes; and to apply the right approach to develop effective BYOD policy that benefits from BYOD advantages without adding significant risks.

Shield IT works with clients to set an effective BYOD security policy and takes part in its implementation. Shield IT's BYOD policies cover the following:

 

Password Provisions

For sensitive information, either belonging to the company or its customers, password protections are non-negotiable.

We advise clients to require strong passwords on mobile devices and computers; enact regular password changes every 30 or 90 days;

and possibly mandate two-factor authentication for all applications and programs accessed from employee-owned devices.

 

Privacy Provisions

Company data belongs to the company, even when this data is on a privately-owned device.

Shield IT's BYOD policy focuses on protecting client's data on an employee's or supplier's device, while protecting the latter's privacy.

 

Data Transfer Provisions

If a single employee or supplier used an unapproved app to transfer data, and this application is breached, there could be serious legal ramifications.

We advise our clients that data should be encrypted, password protected and only transferred on company-mandated applications.

 

Proper Maintenance and Updates

Patches and updates not only provide new features, but also shore up the code from known attacks. Shield IT works with clients to keep devices and applications up to date.

 

Approved Applications

We work with our clients to designate a firm list of approved programs to be used by teams to avoid the risks of vulnerabilities in unapproved programs. Designating a dedicated secure messaging, email, CRM, and other apps and explicitly forbid the use of unapproved programs is an integral part of Shield IT's BYOD policy.

 

Upon Termination

Leaving company data on a personal device when that the employee retires or gets terminated is a bad idea. Even worse is not having a specific set of procedures when this occurs.

Shield IT works with clients to ensure all data is removed from the devices and permissions removed from company applications ahead of terminations.

Shield IT advises clients to apply a long list of other procedures to ensure an enterprise taps the benefit of BYOD, while averting shortcomings.