Navigating Collaboration Risks and Challenges in a BYOD Culture

By Marina Gregory, Chief Operating Officer - 7 Feb, 2018
Collaboration & UC Physical Security
4 Minutes Read
As an employee, would you rather have a specific device for your work or be able to work from your personal device? This question is the driving force behind BYOD culture. According to a survey by MarketsandMarkets, North American adoption rates for a BYOD policy was at 36 percent at the beginning of 2017 and 50 percent by the beginning of 2018.

Thanks to software suites, virtualized desktop infrastructure and other emerging technologies, switching between work devices and personal devices has never been easier. Another study showed that the average worker saved 81 minutes of productivity a week by using a personal device. That’s over 70 hours a year—no wonder the BYOD culture is growing.

While there are numerous collaborative and productivity benefits to a BYOD culture, the use of personal devices does present some risks and challenges. Let’s take a look at how to navigate some of these risks and challenges.

Security

BYOD security is a nuanced process. Companies live in eternal fear of making headlines for a data breach. Allowing more devices to connect to your network and access your data creates a big headache for IT teams. It’s a daunting task to secure all mobile devices on the network, but like we’ve discussed before, mobile security needs to be a priority.

Working with a provider to create an effective Mobile Device Management (MDM) plan is key. Creating proactive security measures that enable BYOD programs can help minimize your organization’s risk. There are several viable systems and applications available to help you accomplish your goals. We guarantee that you MDM will become your CIOs new best friend.

Companies should also look into setting up network access control (NAC) tools. Set and implement specific access rules for employee devices depending on their role within the company. Executives have different levels of access than designers, for example. This allows companies to keep their data compartmentalized and secure.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of employee security training. A Ponemon survey found that 41 percent of SMBs breaches were caused by mistakes made by employees. Creating an employee training program that explains their role cyber security is one of the most effective ways to combat poor passwords, phishing, and accidental exposure.

Privacy

It is easy for companies to track everything their employee does when they issue their own equipment. Employees want to use their own device at work, but they don’t want their employer to have complete access to their device. How can companies keep their data private without infringing on the privacy of their employees? It’s one of the burning questions when it comes to BYOD culture.

The easiest answer is transparency. Creating a transparent mobile device policy with input from your employees can solve issues before they arise. Tell your employees what they’re allowed to do with their devices—work-issued or personal. Detail what information you will be tracking and collecting. An effective mobile device policy will provide flexibility and protect employee privacy without sacrificing security.

Incompatibility 

A big problem with BYOD is not everyone has the same device. When a company issues the same piece of equipment to each employee, they know all applications will function the same.

Choose-Your-Own-Device, or CYOD, is a hybrid policy that addresses both the privacy and compatibility challenges in BYOD policies.

Instead of offering one hardware option, companies give their employees a shortlist of pre-approved devices. Companies get a little more control over their private data than they would in a pure BYOD scenario, and employees still get to choose a device that suits them best.

When it comes to compatibility, CYOD puts a finite number on the different types of devices in the mix. A study by Gartner shows that 74 percent of companies already have some CYOD policy, so there is evidence this strategy works.

BYOD culture isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With the rise of the gig economy, addressing the risks and challenges of BYOD policies is crucial. Without a sound BYOD policy, companies limit their access to the top talent in their niche. Want to learn more about our BYOD and mobility solutions? Please contact New Era Tech for more information and discover how we can help manage and protect your BYOD environment from hackers and other security threats.

Author: Marina Gregory, Chief Operating Officer