Gearfuse Technology, Science, Culture & More
The concept of BYOD – bring your own device – is extremely appealing to employers and employees alike. There are a number of key advantages that can be gained through encouraging staff members to bring their own devices into the office – but what?
Efficiency
Reports suggest that there is a significant increase in the efficiency of the workforce and an improvement in staff morale through the use of BYOD. This could be largely due to the increased levels of freedom being enjoyed by staff who are able to use their own devices for work.
Undoubtedly, BYOD reduces IT costs within the company, especially when combined with a cloud computing platform. There are numerous cloud providers available and cloud computing from Dell actually encourages and supports BYOD.
Yet, despite the array of advantages associated with BYOD, there are still a number of concerns – particularity from IT professionals. Security is one of the biggest focuses with many people dubious as to how the introduction of so many outside devices will impact on the overall security capabilities.
Thankfully, there are many ways in which BYOD can be made secure to use – as outlined below. You can also learn more about BYOD with this infographic from Dell.
Passwords and security
If BYOD is not being used in conjunction with a cloud platform then it is imperative that all devices utilise the screen lock password function. The concept is simple, upon opening a mobile device users are prompted to enter a password which protects all data on the device. This should be one of the most important guidelines to any employee using their own device at work.
Additional security measures are being introduced frequently with both thumb and retina scans becoming increasingly popular in highly-sensitive workplaces.
Utilise cloud security
Cloud security provides its very own form of protection against hackers and viruses. Businesses that have implemented BYOD should certainly consider combining it with a cloud platform as if a device is lost, stolen or compromised then data is not stored directly on the device itself. This means that sensitive information cannot be accessed by unauthorised people.
In addition to this, businesses can utilise a private cloud platform that only allows access to specified content by devices with approved IP addresses.
Regular updates and encrypting
Employers should ensure that any device that is being used in the workplace has regular access to security and protection updates. Viruses such as malware are evolving constantly and in order to retain up-to-date protection against such threats, regular security updates are being designed and implemented. Encrypting should also be used regularly to ensure that if security is breached then sensitive data is not available in a readable format.
