Bring your own device (BYOD) is a business strategy where employees are allowed to use their personal devices for work. This strategy has become a mainstream practice over the years, especially since businesses in Chicago, Tampa, and all over the world are adopting remote work. 

One benefit of BYOD is that businesses save a lot of money because they don’t have to purchase and issue devices for each employee. They also have fewer devices to manage and maintain, resulting in even lower overhead costs. More importantly, BYOD enables employees to work on devices they’re already using. This means there’s no adjustment period that’s often involved with learning the company’s standard systems. In fact, employees may actually be more productive since they’re familiar with the functions, apps, and interfaces of their personal devices. However, BYOD is not without its challenges. 

What are the major concerns with BYOD?

The challenge with BYOD is that companies have to manage a fragmented array of devices. Personal laptops, smartphones, and tablets are all built differently and will therefore require different maintenance and troubleshooting procedures. Additionally, employee devices may have software, operating systems, and configurations that are incompatible with company systems. 

BYOD security issues are another cause for concern. For one, it’s more difficult to keep track of devices outside the company network. Personal devices may not meet company security standards, which increases the company’s exposure to cyberattacks. Lost or stolen devices may lead to full-scale data breaches if they fall into the wrong hands. If employees connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks at home or in public areas, they could be targeted by cybercriminals monitoring those same networks. Finally, employees could completely undermine your company’s security efforts with reckless security habits and the use of unvetted third-party applications. 

What are the best practices for implementing a BYOD policy?

To address management and security complications of BYOD, your company must have an airtight policy. Below is a list of best practices you must adopt to build an effective BYOD policy.  

1. Formalize your policies with a written statement

You need to put policies into writing to ensure employees know when and how they should use their personal devices for work. A formalized BYOD policy must include the following:  

  • A list of devices, operating systems, and software approved under your BYOD program
  • Acceptable use policies covering what employees are permitted to do with their personal devices when accessing company networks, applications, and data
  • Minimum security requirements for personal devices, such as installing anti-malware programs and downloading the latest security updates 
  • Reporting procedures for when a device is lost, stolen, or compromised
  • Statements that your company reserves the right to wipe data from lost or stolen devices
  • A description of equipment replacement or reimbursement process in case an employee damages their personal device due to work-related matters 
  • Consequences for breaching policies (e.g., disciplinary action and additional training)
  • A signature field to be signed if the employee agrees with BYOD policies

2. Promote good security habits

Employees must go through regular security training to develop good habits when using personal devices for work. Here are the most important topics to cover in your security training program:

Basic device security 

Teach employees to regularly update their operating systems and install anti-malware software, as well as why they should never jailbreak their devices.  

Physical security 

The biggest risk of BYOD is that employee devices can be lost or stolen. That’s why you should teach employees to never leave their devices unattended and enable screen locks protected by either a passcode or fingerprint scan. Employees should also avoid inserting unknown USB drives into their devices, as these drives may contain malware.  

Scam awareness 

Employees must practice caution with every unsolicited email, website, and link they see online. Cybercriminals will often masquerade as legitimate companies and send fraudulent emails to trick targets into sharing sensitive information and downloading malware. Running phishing simulations using tools like KnowBe4 are a great way to teach employees how to identify and avoid fraudulent emails. 

Password practices 

Security training sessions must stress the importance of password best practices. This entails setting unique passwords that are at least 12 characters long. If employees have difficulty remembering complex passwords for multiple accounts, encourage them to use password managers like Dashlane or LastPass.  

Public network access 

Warn your staff about the dangers of accessing sensitive information when connected to unsecured Wi-Fi networks. If it’s absolutely necessary for employees to connect to public Wi-Fi, employees can encrypt and hide web activity using a virtual private network.     

3. Enforce policies with mobile device management (MDM)

MDM solutions like Microsoft Intune are absolutely essential for securing BYOD policies. MDM works by installing software agents onto devices that connect directly to a central management console residing in the company’s servers. From the central console, you can control company-registered devices and manage their security configurations to enforce BYOD policies. For example, you can use MDM solutions to remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices to prevent data breaches. You can even blacklist unsanctioned messaging apps and games that may create security gaps in your organization. 

MDM solutions also feature over-the-air distribution, which allows you to install security software packages and updates onto company-registered devices. This makes it easy to keep device security consistent and in line with BYOD policies even if employees are working miles apart. What’s more, MDM solutions provide detailed reports of company-registered devices, down to their specifications, locations, and recent activity. This is especially helpful for staying on top of software updates and detecting noncompliant user behavior. 

Related reading: Learn about the essential IT solutions for managing remote workers

4. Set access restrictions

Access restrictions limit what employees can do with their personal devices, and enforcing access restrictions has two distinct advantages. Firstly, it prevents employees from accessing company networks and applications that are unrelated to their jobs, mitigating internal data leaks. Secondly, if cybercriminals manage to compromise employee devices and accounts, access restrictions minimize the potential damage of the resulting data breach.   

With MDM solutions, you can restrict access based on an employee’s role, location, device, and other parameters. For instance, MDM could schedule application lockouts to prevent staff from logging into company accounts outside office hours. You can even block vulnerable devices such as those connected to public Wi-Fi networks or have jailbroken operating systems.   

5. Remove devices when no longer needed

BYOD policies must include an exit strategy for devices when employees leave the company. MDM solutions expedite device decommissioning procedures. It can delete user accounts, remove access privileges, uninstall company applications, and wipe data from employee devices. It can even partition business and personal data on a device, so wiping procedures leave the user’s personal information intact. 

If you have any difficulty establishing an effective BYOD policy, you can always turn to Dynamic Solutions Group for assistance. As a leading managed IT services provider, we offer world-class support and cutting-edge security solutions to help get your BYOD policy off the ground. Call us now to get started.