The BYOD trend is here to stay, with employers increasingly embracing its benefits, such as lower hardware costs, extended customer access to employees and staff satisfaction. According to industry analyst Gartner, by 2017 over half of all employers will require employees to use their own devices for work purposes.
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But despite growing acceptance of the BYOD phenomenon, serious security concerns remain, including the possibility of data falling into the wrong hands via lost or stolen devices or lax security practices on the part of the device owner. The key to preventing a security breach is to develop and implement sound policies. Here are some tips on creating an effective strategy.
1. Outline a formal acceptable use policy. The first step organizations can take to reduce BYOD risks is to create an acceptable use policy, often referred to as a mobile policy. The policy should provide rules and protocols that govern BYOD deployment companywide, setting standards for users. IT managers can take the lead by kicking off stakeholder discussions about BYOD rules now and into the future and designating a committee to promote and control mobile policy. It’s a good idea to require program participants to review the company’s mobile policy and acknowledge that they’ll abide by it via a signature.
2. Identify users and create program participant segments. A crucial step in developing the organizational policy is to define BYOD users and identify various categories of program participants. This exercise gives the mobile policy committee the opportunity to think about any device type restrictions that may be needed, application restrictions and content issues. It also provides an opportunity for committee members to think through the financial implications of establishing a formal BYOD program, including user stipends or business expense rules applicable to employee devices.
3. Select and deploy an enterprise mobility management platform. After the mobile policy is in place, committee members should assess their options and choose an enterprise mobility platform, keeping in mind their current technology and security needs and planning for future requirements. With technology evolving rapidly and employees choosing their own devices, it’s critical to think ahead and select a platform that can accommodate emerging technologies while keeping up with user demand and protecting corporate assets. The platform should feature strong network access controls.
4. Plan to provide support for user-owned devices. Some company policy-makers mistakenly believe that BYOD means they no longer need to provide device support. This is a mistake that can lead to security breaches and decrease employee job satisfaction. Instead, companies should develop support protocols to manage all phases of BYOD, from device procurement and provisioning through decommissioning. By providing support and helping employees manage assets, technical professionals will gain valuable opportunities to ensure BYOD policies are followed, identify emerging vulnerabilities and help employees comply with safe practices.
From an enterprise IT perspective, BYOD is one of the most significant workforce technology trends ever. That means it’s absolutely essential to manage it proactively. By establishing a formal acceptable use policy, identifying policy decision-makers and user groups, selecting a management platform and providing ongoing support, IT professionals can maximize the benefits of BYOD and minimize the risks.
By Gerald Hetrick, Chief Operations Officer, Vox Mobile
About Vox Mobile
Vox Mobile has been a leader in defining enterprise mobility services since its founding in 2006.
Vox Mobile provides for complete enterprise mobility, addressing every aspect of mobile technology planning, management and support. More than 600 companies around the globe use Vox Mobile solutions to maximize the opportunity of connected lives to empower their organizations by ensuring their workforces are productive, their mobile data is secure and their business models are benefiting from complete enterprise mobility. Currently, Vox Mobile manages more than 250,000 connections, over 950 servers and achieves First Call Resolution more than 89 percent of the time. As a founding member of the Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance (GEMA), Vox Mobile provides global support for multi-national corporations. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Vox Mobile operates support centers and sales and consulting offices throughout North America.
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