What is a Bring-Your-Own-Device Policy?

A Bring-Your-Own-Device Policy (BYOD) policy establishes security rules for employee-owned devices that are used for company tasks. Whether cell phones, personal laptops, or tablets, all these devices interact with your network. BYOD offers many advantages for an organization, such as cost-effectiveness and ease of information access; however, outside devices can also present possible security threats.

What are the Data Risks of BYOD?

Security risks of BYOD can take several forms, such as:

    1. Lost, stolen, or unauthorized access to devices.
    2. Attacks through malware, phishing, and scams.
    3. Lack of security compliance for employee devices that are accessing the company’s network.

Best BYOD Practices

    1. Have employees report a lost or stolen device immediately. This will allow remote locking and erasing of data that may be compromised.
    2. Educate, educate, educate! Promote safe device usage through up-to-date employee trainings on subjects such as phishing and mobile device security. If you do not know where to start, take a look at your company as a whole and identify the weakest points in your current system. Are there gaps in security when it comes to password protection of employee-owned devices? Identify these weak points when it comes to BYOD and create training around that.
    3. Implement a device exit strategy. If you have an employee leaving the company or they are replacing a current device, your organization should have a strategy for devices leaving the organization, so they do not take any confidential information with them.
    4. Have a written BYOD policy, which includes requirements and security policies regarding personal devices at work. It forces you as an organization to think some policies through before allowing employees to use their own devices. A written policy should reflect your unique organization, but make sure to include:
        • Acceptable user policies for devices connected to the company network – what should and should not be tolerated when connected to company network or when using a personal device for work purposes.
        • Acceptable types of devices and support. This could include cell phones, laptops, tablets, or other devices depending on what is best for your organization.
        • Security requirements for employee-owned devices. Make sure to include that devices must be password-protected!
        • Risks, liabilities, and disclaimers for utilizing personal devices for company projects.
        • A signed agreement from your employee.

BYOD… One Piece to the SASE Puzzle

Protecting employee-owned devices is one way to comply with “Secure Access Service Edge,” otherwise known as SASE.

SASE is a term coined by Gartner in 2019 and is an emerging security and network framework. Today’s environment shows that more users, devices, and data are outside the network perimeter instead of on the inside (such as BYOD). What is the solution for protecting everything outside that perimeter? Cloud-based security.

Learn more about SASE and cloud-based security.

Securing your BYOD Environment

The way you do business is unique to you, and your security existence should reflect that. No matter where you are in the world or whether you have employees on-premises, hybrid, or remote, we work with a variety of partners so we can apply the best products and solutions for you.

Reach out to us today to learn how Braxton-Grant can find the best solution for your organization.

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