Oct 4
2021
What To Know About BYOD and Cybersecurity
Bring-your-own-device or BYOD policies are becoming not just an option, but in many cases necessary because of remote and work-from-home scenarios. BYOD is an increasing priority for IT admins to give employees secure access to the resources they need to do their jobs.
The use of zero-trust architecture is one way to create network security even with a BYOD policy, but there are other things to keep in mind as well. The following are things to know about BYOD policies in general and the cybersecurity implications.
BYOD policies
Under a BYOD IT policy, employees aren’t just permitted but are sometimes encouraged to bring their own devices to access systems and data. Devices can include laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
There are some general options as far as provisioning of access levels when employees use their own devices.
You can offer unlimited access for their personal devices. You can instead allow only access to non-sensitive data and systems on their devices. Another option is to provide access, but with IT control over devices and the fourth option is access, but with the prevention of local data storage on these devices.
There are significant benefits to a BYOD policy for many employers because it can promote productivity and managed risk. Many employees also prefer it. Employees can choose what devices they’re most comfortable using. Due to that comfort, employees are more likely to be productive because they already know how to use them. This might help with buy-in on new technology too.
BYOD policies can cut the costs for your business and alleviate pressure on the IT budget. While there are upsides, there are some potential risks.