Bring your own device (BYOD) is a business policy of employees bringing personally owned mobile devices to their place of work and using those devices to access privileged company resources such as email, file servers and databases as well as their personal applications and data (Wikipedia)
Mobile technology and BYOD has undeniably become integral in countless workplaces these days. Numerous people believe that mobile device use is critical for them to complete their tasks, while others think that it adds to their competitiveness. Due to its portability and convenience, mobile device use has improved communication and collaboration between those who are in the office and those in the field, increased accessibility to clients or customers, and enhanced employee productivity. BYOD is definitely something companies can no longer ignore. Though this new technology has produced several advantages, it has also generated new vulnerabilities that small businesses should look out for.
Here are the top 3 most common BYOD challenges along with the possible solutions:
Challenge 1: Mobile devices are susceptible to loss and theft. Losing a mobile device is often worse than losing a wallet especially if you have confidential data stored in it.
Solutions:
• Password-protect your device and set it to auto-lock after a specified period of time.
• Take advantage of unlock options, including a numeric PIN, a password or a graphical pattern.
• Install an app that can trigger an alarm to help you find your mobile device if you've misplaced it. Apps that can remotely lock and wipe a stolen or lost device are also available.
• Employees should be advised to regularly backup data stored in their mobile devices such as contacts, photos, notes and other important information.
Challenge 2: Protecting mobile devices from malware and viruses. The burden of having to continuously monitor these devices and people's behavior can be heavy. An infected device can compromise the entire network especially if the same device is used to access the network.
Solutions:
• Employee awareness and training.
• Create an acceptable use policy.
• Set clear guidelines regarding what sort of company data employees are allowed to
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