Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies have become increasingly common in modern workplaces, offering flexibility and potential cost savings. After all these devices allow us to take work home with us and it has been noted that with a bring your own device (BYOD) strategy, businesses have never been so productive.
However, BYOD poses a number of security risks if you’re not careful. What are these problems? How are they caused? Here are some BYOD security risks you should know before implementing it in your business.
Are you aware of these 4 BYOD security risks?
The biggest reason why businesses are weary of implementing a BYOD strategy is because it can potentially leave the company’s system vulnerable to data breaches.
Data Breaches
Personal devices are not part of your business’s IT infrastructure, which means that these devices are not protected by company firewalls and systems. There is also a very high chance that an employee will take work with them wherever they go, so they are not using the same encrypted servers that your company is using, leaving your system vulnerable to inherent security risks.
Lost devices
Another risk your company has to deal with, is the possibility of your employees losing their personal devices. When devices with sensitive business information are lost, there is a chance that this could end up falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, if there is no BOYD policy in place and an employee isn’t using security layers such as a PIN code on their phone, anyone can gain unauthorised access to valuable company data stored on that particular device. Therefore, your company should consider countermeasures for lost devices like completely wiping the device of information as soon as an employee reports a missing or stolen phone.
Cyber criminals can infiltrate your system
Personal devices tend to lack adequate data encryption to keep people from snooping. This along with the fact that your employees might not have updated their devices can allow cyber criminals to infiltrate your IT infrastructure.
Connecting to open Wifi spots makes your company more susceptible to cyber criminals. Open wireless points in public places can put device owners at risk because there is a chance that cyber criminals may have created that hotspot to trick people into connecting. Once the device owner has connected, attackers can simply surveil web activity and gain access to your company’s accounts.
Vulnerable to malware
Viruses are also a big problem when implementing BYOD strategies into your business. Using personal devices means your employees can access whatever sites or download any mobile apps that your business would normally restrict to protect your system.
Jailbreaking or rooting a device also puts your systems at risk because it removes limitations imposed by the manufacturer to keep the mobile software updated and protected against external threats. It’s best to understand that as your employees have the freedom to choose whatever device they want to work with, the process of keeping track of vulnerabilities and updates is considerably harder. So if you’re thinking about implementing BYOD strategies to your business, prepare your IT department for an array of potential malware attacks on different devices.
Should you consider a BOYD strategy?
So you might be thinking that it would probably be best to just avoid implementing a BYOD strategy in the first place. However, BYOD will help your business grow and adapt to the modern workplace, and should not be dismissed as a legitimate IT solution. It’s just important to educate your company about these risks so that problems won’t occur for your business down the line.
How do you mitigate BYOD Security Risks?
To address these risks, consider implementing the following measures:
- Develop a comprehensive BYOD policy
- Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions
- Implement strong authentication methods
- Provide regular security awareness training
- Use virtual private networks (VPNs) for remote access
- Enforce data encryption on all devices
- Regularly audit and update security measures
Worried about BOYD security risks?
If you need some help implementing an BYOD policy or IT security solutions for your company, book a call.
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