Top 11 Tips To Consider When Creating Your BYOD Policy

Mobile and personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, have become a core part of everyday life. Employees are bringing their devices to work, and expect their organization to be capable of supporting the use of these devices to make their work easier. However, creating the perfect BYOD policy can be tricky, especially if you lack the expertise and don’t know where to start. But that doesn’t mean that businesses are not adapting to BYOD practices, even if they have well made policies or not.

A study conducted by Tech Pro shows that 72% of organizations were already permitting BYOD or planning to do so. But without a proper policy in place, it leaves room for potential threats to both business and employees. If devices and apps are connected to the business network without proper monitoring and security in place, every device is a potential source of threat to data loss.

One of the most common concerns among businesses is the threat personal data can hold when connected to the company network. Whether employees can accidentally access restricted or confidential data, or their devices are shared, or lost or stolen, among business outsiders who can then access the data.

From the business perspective, the most common risk is the one of security. When personal devices that are infected with viruses or vulnerable to hackers access the system, it can spread that threat across all connected devices. It’s true that most people are relatively careless with their devices; not activating passwords, using unsecured WiFi hotspots, and even losing their phones.  In any of these instances, your business's confidential data could be exposed to data loss or unauthorized access,  and even legal problems.

Cost reimbursement is another issue that must also be dealt with. Does the company pay for data and fixing personal devices? Does the employee bear the cost,or is it shared among both parties with stipends and allowances?

Research conducted by Gartner estimates that by the end of 2017, 90% businesses have their own BYOD policy in place. However, businesses must recognize their limitations and reach out to third party IT providers for expert assistance. At Zenetrix, we provide managed services in Philadelphia and strive to help businesses execute secure BYOD policies.

Below, we provide some tips that can make your BYOD policy simpler to plan and execute. There is no one-winning-formula for everyone to follow, but these factors can surely get you on the right track.

11 Factors to Consider For Crafting Your BYOD Policy

1. Before you starting building your BYOD policy, it is crucial to determine which devices your business will permit and support Does your business support Android, iOS or other systems? Can your employees access all work data with their devices or only a part of it?
2. Define and communicate which employees will be permitted to use their own devices and why. It is crucial to clarify when the data can be accessed and by who. Predetermine employee permission, how access will be managed, and ensure that no unauthorized device or person can connect to the network.
3. It is also critical to create a parameter of your right as the employer to access and monitor activity, as well as delete data from employee-owned personal devices. Your employees need to know to what extent their data can be controlled and under what circumstances.
4. Keep a registry of all personal devices that are used for business purposes so that you can keep a watchful eye over employee devices. Consider using mobile device management technology (MDM), which can be used to create virtual partitions to separate work data and personal data in each device. This will ensure your employees that their personal data is protected from the company, and that you as an employer only have access to work related data.
5. To avoid violating employee privacy and personal space, any monitoring tool and technique to be used should be communicated to them before implementation. Your employees have the right to know what they are being monitored for, when, and via which method.
6. If your business has plans in place that protects your employees personal information, it is important to explain to process to them. It makes the process much smoother if your employees are aware of the policies..
7. If you are ever faced with a scenario where you have to wipe data from employee devices, you need to have a proper plan in place. In case of stolen or lost devices, you need to have the ability to delete valuable data remotely before it falls into the wrong hands. In case of termination of employment, your data wipe system must be able to remove business data from employee’s personal device, without damaging their personal files.
8. Implement advanced data protection practices, starting with passwords, automated locks, protocols for lost and stolen devices, and any mandatory and security software. Along with all these, it is critical to ensure that your networks are monitored 24/7, and any data is protected with routine backups.
9. Designate IT responsibilities and authorizations, so that your employees know who to turn to if they are struck with an issue. It may be a good idea to create FAQ pages, and encourage sharing to simple solutions within the workplace.
10. Develop your BYOD policy in partnership with IT and legal experts. IT solutions in Philadelphia are provided by IT specialists who can help you solidify your BYOD policy through experience and in-depth knowledge.
11. Rethink your expense reimbursement policy and focus on providing your employees with a feasible solution rather than passing all of the costs on to them.This could include cost splitting, corporate cell plans, or another joint effort that focuses on cost collaboration between employer and employee. If you require the device for business use, considerations can even be made to provide a corporate phone, tablet, or laptop.

 

BYOD policies can be tricky and confusing to deal with, especially if you are not familiar with the IT industry and related legal complicacies. With this list, we hope to give you an overall idea of what to prioritize when adapting BYOD, focusing on fair-usage and security. Panthera Technology is here to provide businesses with secure BYOD in Philadelphia. If your are looking for an industry veteran as your IT partner, call us today and let’s get started on building your BYOD policy.

The above blog post Top 11 Tips To Consider When Creating Your BYOD Policy was originally published to Philadelphia IT Support Firm: Zenetrix IT