What are the key factors for a successful BYOD policy?BYOD programs enable workers to use their own mobile devices for corporate work, bringing in an array of benefits. It can not only increase worker satisfaction and efficiency but also reduce overhead costs for system management.
However, to be successful with a BYOD policy, your company needs to have the proper practices in place. The company as well as its workers need to realize the risks of letting an employee-owned computer or corporate work is used.
Below we listed the six primary criteria for effective policy on BYOD.
Clear Rules for Employees
BYOD doesn’t mean that employees can just immediately start using their personal devices for business tasks. The organization needs to outline the process for authorizing an employee’s computer for corporate uses while developing the BYOD policy. The organization must thoroughly inspect a product before it can be introduced into the sector. The approval process will evaluate the current security status of the device, determine the operating system’s reliability, and install a mobility management agent on the device.
Managing Access
You do not want any user to access your devices and resources for a BYOD program unless they are allowed to. Your BYOD policy will specify guidelines for identity and access management to ensure that only approved users are able to access a computer and the data within it. Alongside other authentication mechanisms such as biometrics and transaction checks, solid passwords should be enforced at the base level.
Employee Management Obligations
Under a BYOD plan, the user is in charge of managing their mobile devices, rather than the IT department. This frees the IT workers’ time so they can concentrate on other, more important activities. Companies may counter this by allowing devices to be modified and accounted for, with strict sanctions in effect if such requirements are not met.
Mandatory Security Policies
Your users can often be your company’s biggest security threat and this also holds true for BYOD policies. When your organization implements a BYOD program it needs to facilitate safe and secure use of the software by developing compulsory security policies. These policies should include not connecting to public WiFi and installing only trusted applications to a device. If applicable, the BYOD policy will provide penalties for failing to obey such protocols, or incentivize users who faithfully comply.
Privacy of Employee
When you enforce a BYOD policy in your business, your employees will be worried about their personal privacy. They might feel like a BYOD program is an excuse for your organization spying on its customers, or accessing personal data stored on their phones. That’s not the case, of course — but you need to express it to your employees. In particular, if you are installing an EMM solution to help manage devices, your company must address employee concerns regarding data privacy.
Protection against Lost or Stolen Devices
You never want to think of it happening, but in the case of a BYOD device being lost or stolen, it needs a mechanism in place. Users need to report a lost/stolen device to your business as soon as possible; reducing the time between missing a device and learning about it reduces the time it takes for a device with sensitive data to be exposed to harmful actors. Many mobility management tools do have apps for geographical location, so you can monitor devices that get lost.
