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If your organization allows employees to make use of their personal devices for work (Bring Your Own Device), you wish a BYOD security policy.
Today, most firms incorporate a BYOD culture as a consequence of rising distant work demands following the pandemic. While this will leave you open to cyberattacks and data breaches, a strong security policy might help mitigate any such BYOD risk.
In this text, we’ll discuss why you need BYOD security and how to create an effective BYOD policy in just eight steps.
Table of Contents
Let’s start.
Why do you wish BYOD security?
A BYOD policy lets employees access company networks, data, and other work-related resources through their personal devices.
Nonetheless, employees will not be diligent about updating their operating systems and might unintentionally use compromised (hacked or infected) devices for work. When such an worker connects to your corporate network, it’s possible you’ll grow to be vulnerable to cyberattacks.
You could think a straightforward solution is to avoid personal devices for business purposes.
But research shows that employees use their personal devices, no matter a BYOD policy.
Through BYOD adoption, you possibly can reduce your IT expenses as you don’t need to buy:
- Latest devices.
- Upgrades.
- Replacements for lost or stolen devices.
Doing so shifts the responsibility and user device costs from the employer to the worker.
According to Cisco, firms can save almost $350/worker yearly and increase worker productivity through a BYOD program.
So, it makes more sense to have a BYOD security policy than restricting worker personal device usage.
Let’s explore why you might want to spend money on BYOD security a bit more deeply.
1. Lost and stolen devices may cause a knowledge breach
Did you know that 70 million phones are lost or misplaced yearly, and a laptop is stolen almost every minute?
These devices are expensive to exchange. Even lower-end ones can cost a few hundred bucks.
Lost devices are also the important perpetrator behind 41% of all data breaches during 2005-2015.
Best-case scenario: the criminal wipes the device without stealing any confidential information. But that’s not often the case.
In case your IT security team doesn’t remotely wipe the unsecured device immediately, all localized stored data is vulnerable to a security breach.
Even stored contacts and bank card details can pose a severe security risk.
Nonetheless, cybercriminals not require an actual stolen device. If employees simply check their work email, that might provide a gateway to your corporate network.
In keeping with a Google study, about 52% of people use the identical passwords across multiple online accounts. So, passwords aren’t a considerable security control either.
Because of this, many devices now use biometrics – fingerprints, eye scans, etc. – to access sensitive data.
But allowing private third parties, akin to your service provider, access to biometrics can severely compromise information security.
As an example, if the third party gets hacked, all their biometric data is offered to the hacker, who can now access confidential, sensitive information in regards to the worker and their clients. They also can steal trade secrets that will profit your competitors.
2. Potential cybercrime risk
Nowadays, it might take just 18 seconds for a malware attack to grow to be serious.
Cybercriminals often hide malware in downloadable files or by posing as a legitimate site. While antivirus software is a must for any device, sometimes latest threats aren’t immediately recognized.
Employees also can download malware on their smartphones through games or malicious apps. For the reason that app is consistently on the phone, the malware slowly infects the BYOD device.
As smartphones grow to be more advanced, so does malware.
So, when employees store company information on their smartphones or use it to access company data, hackers can very easily steal this information.
3. Dangerous online behavior
BYOD’s defining feature is that employees get the liberty to make use of the identical devices for private and business purposes.
Nonetheless, this could pose a serious security risk as you’ve got no control over the sites your employees visit, files they download, and even the WiFi networks they use.
Moreover, your employees may share these personal mobile devices with other relations, akin to their kids, who will not be well-versed in mobile security.
Unsafe online behavior can leave your worker’s personal data in addition to your organization data unprotected.
4. Legal and privacy concerns
The most important concern of any BYOD program is privacy – for the worker and the corporate.
If your organization is the victim of a cybercrime, your employees may take legal motion against you for putting their personal data in danger.
Moreover, suppose your worker checks their work email on their device during non-work hours (personal time), but your policy doesn’t clearly distinguish between work and private use.
In that case, it’s possible you’ll face a penalty for not adequately compensating your worker for additional time work under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
How do you ensure none of this happens to you?
Your BYOD policy must consider worker input, current usage, and future trends within the industry. You’ll also need an agile and proactive IT department to implement this policy.
The right way to create a secure BYOD policy in 8 steps
Follow the eight steps detailed below to create an efficient and secure BYOD policy.
1. Ask for worker input
To create an efficient BYOD policy, you need to ask for and consider your employees’ input.
Otherwise, you risk implementing a restrictive BYOD usage policy that daunts participation.
Through a survey, you possibly can gather relevant information, akin to:
- Devices currently getting used or more likely to be utilized in the longer term.
- List of apps and sites used to access company data and perform business tasks on personal devices.
- BYOD pros and cons from the worker’s standpoint.
- Worker privacy and data security concerns while using personal devices for business purposes.
When you’ve got this data, you possibly can ensure your BYOD policy is inclusive, accommodating, and in everyone’s best interests.
2. Make clear authorized BYOD devices
Originally, strict BYOD policies detailed which worker devices were and weren’t allowed.
Nonetheless, it’s difficult to update, manage, and implement such lists today as employees have more options than ever. They may use and sync multiple devices for work, akin to cell phones, personal computers, and even smartwatches.
By clarifying authorized devices for business use, you possibly can avoid miscommunication and data loss.
With distant work becoming commonplace, most firms now allow any worker device that meets their security requirements.
3. Implement mandatory security measures
A BYOD policy can put your employees’ personal devices in danger for cybercrime and other types of hacking.
Implementing some basic security measures can go a great distance towards protecting your and your employees’ data.
A few of these may include:
- Using passcodes on phone lock screens, preferably longer than a 4-digit PIN.
- Using strong passwords on every worker owned device. Passwords should ideally contain lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Changing these passwords usually.
- Installing antivirus software and updating it usually. To maintain costs down, you should buy an enterprise package for all employees.
- Encrypting sensitive files with unique passwords through multi-factor authentication.
- Often backing up onto the cloud in case of knowledge leakage or worker device theft.
- Encrypting backups to forestall cloud theft, especially in case your organization uses a single cloud solution.
Nonetheless, it’s essential to not go too far. Too many encryption requirements can decelerate day-to-day operations and negatively impact worker productivity.
4. Define service boundaries
Your policy should define various network security and repair elements.
As an example, you possibly can clearly state that public WiFi networks pose a serious security threat.
As such, you possibly can encourage employees only to hook up with secure networks, ideally all the time using an encrypted VPN (Virtual Private Network).
The policy also can specify whether employees can share these devices with relations. In that case, they could have to keep a better eye on what apps are downloaded and routinely update their antivirus software.
Moreover, to forestall accidental malware infections, it’s possible you’ll blocklist specific file-sharing apps or social media sites out of your employees’ devices for business purposes.
Similarly, you too can allowlist specific apps and sites – allowing access only to pre-approved sites and apps.
Another common boundaries are:
- Not using devices during driving or other dangerous activities.
- Limiting personal calls or texts at work.
- Specifying if employees can take photos or videos within the workplace.
5. Use advanced security solutions
Certain software technologies within the BYOD security market can enable you implement your security policy.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) models were the primary versions. They provided distant management of devices, and later, specific apps.
Nonetheless, they’re insufficient in a fast-changing digital landscape.
Because of this, many firms adopted the Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) model, which combined elements of MDM and MAM together with:
- Containerization: Data is separated into its own bubble and guarded by its unique security policies. These apps allow employees full access to the device with none security risks to the corporate’s data or network.
- App wrapping: The corporate implements security policies on specific apps without affecting their functionality. E.g., not allowing employees to copy-paste corporate data anywhere.
- Mobile content management: An element of MDM that gives employees secure access to company data, akin to emails, documents, and media files, from any mobile device.
Nowadays, most firms implement a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) model.
It offers device security from all endpoints and use-cases, from wearables to fixed devices. It also allows your IT department to consolidate all of your security programs right into a single, unified management solution.
Recently, UEM models have began utilizing AI (Artificial Intelligence) to detect and treatment potential malware from multiple data points and end-users immediately.
Nonetheless, you will need to consider the usability of your employees’ devices while implementing endpoint security controls. If a model is just too restrictive, employees may find unsafe workarounds or alternatives.
6. Provide formal BYOD training
You might draft probably the most secure policy available, but your efforts will likely be in vain in case your employees don’t have proper cybersecurity awareness.
Before implementing a policy, employees should ideally undergo mandatory security training. This may increasingly include:
- Explaining top cybersecurity threats, akin to phishing schemes, downloading third-party software, password theft, etc.
- Providing basic cybersecurity education, e.g., utilizing various security layers.
- Detailing policy changes and specific security concerns.
These training sessions should emphasize the necessity for IT and device security each inside and outdoors the workplace.
When your employees are aware and educated, they will prevent data breaches and leakages through savvy IT practices.
7. Plan for security incidents
Devices get misplaced, lost, stolen, or compromised on a regular basis. A superb BYOD security solution must have specific protocols in place for every BYOD security challenge.
Inform your employees to alert the IT department should any of this occur immediately.
The IT department can then take appropriate steps to dam the device and remotely erase all personal and company data. It could help for those who also planned beyond this immediate response.
As an example, you need to consider:
- Who’s answerable for replacing stolen or lost devices?
- How will it affect your worker’s productivity until they get a substitute?
- Are there any spares available to be used until your worker’s device is replaced?
Moreover, your employees have to have a transparent understanding of the next:
- The chain of command regarding security incidents – who to report back to, follow-up with, etc.
- What happens to their personal data after wiping the device?
- What repercussions will they face, if any?
It’s best to clearly outline all these situations in your BYOD policy.
8. Establish an worker onboarding and exit strategy
Latest employees should receive a replica of your BYOD policy on arrival. Your IT department can ensure they take all of the vital security precautions.
Concurrently, all employees ought to be clear about what’s going to occur upon leaving the corporate.
As an example, your IT department could ensure all company data, proprietary applications, passwords, etc., are systematically erased from worker devices in the course of the notice period.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t compromise your worker’s personal data. If your organization requires a whole erase, instruct your employees to backup all the things to their private cloud or one other device.
Although that is your worker’s personal device, they used it for business purposes. As a security measure, your IT department should rigorously monitor it during onboarding and offboarding.
3 BYOD alternatives
While the BYOD trend is taking off, some alternatives can prove safer and successful.
1. COPE (Corporate-owned personally-enabled)
Under this strategy, the corporate owns the user device, but employees are free to personalize them using non-work-related apps, with some restrictions.
2. CYOD (Select your individual device)
Here, the workers select their very own devices from a set of pre-approved corporate devices.
3. BYOA (Bring your individual application)
In BYOA, firms concentrate on encouraging and endorsing third-party cloud-based apps, akin to Google Drive, Slack, etc., for work purposes. These consumer-driven apps give employees the flexibleness to make use of their preferred tools on any device – personal or company-owned.
Ceaselessly Asked Questions (FAQ) about BYOD security
1. What’s BYOD and why is it essential?
Answer: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) refers back to the practice where employees use their personal devices, akin to smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to access company data and applications for work purposes. It’s essential since it allows for greater flexibility and productivity, nevertheless it also introduces security risks, akin to data breaches and unauthorized access, making a strong BYOD security policy essential.
2. What are the largest risks related to BYOD?
Answer: The most important risks related to BYOD include data breaches as a consequence of lost or stolen devices, exposure to malware, legal and privacy concerns, and dangerous online behavior by employees. These risks can result in significant financial and reputational damage for a corporation if not properly managed.
3. How can an organization ensure BYOD security?
Answer: Corporations can ensure BYOD security by implementing a comprehensive BYOD policy that features mandatory security measures like strong passwords, encryption, and regular backups. Moreover, firms should use advanced security solutions like Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) to observe and secure devices accessing corporate data.
4. How can employees protect their personal devices while using them for work?
Answer: Employees can protect their personal devices through the use of strong, unique passwords for work-related accounts, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping their operating systems and apps updated, installing reliable antivirus software, and avoiding suspicious web sites and downloads. They also needs to usually back up essential data and use encrypted VPNs when accessing company networks.
5. How does BYOD impact worker privacy?
Answer: BYOD can blur the lines between personal and skilled life, potentially exposing employees’ private data to their employers. A well-crafted BYOD policy should respect worker privacy by clearly defining what data the corporate can access and what it cannot, and by providing employees with the choice to separate work and private data on their devices.
6. What happens to the information on a BYOD device when an worker leaves the corporate?
Answer: When an worker leaves the corporate, the BYOD policy should require that each one company data, applications, and credentials be faraway from the device. This will be done remotely by the IT department. The worker should back up any personal data before the corporate data is wiped to avoid loss of non-public information.
Wrapping up
A really perfect BYOD security policy covers all the things from potential data leakage to providing each worker with their very own VPN.
Whenever you draft a policy covering all these topics, you minimize BYOD security risks and help your employees achieve a healthy work-life balance. This, in turn, boosts their productivity and overall satisfaction.
