Approach Your BYOD Policy with Caution

A common occurrence in the business world is the employee who wants to use their sweet new smartphone for the purposes of work. The average business owner might be ecstatic that the employee wants to get more done in the day, especially when the device isn’t on the company’s dime. However, some professionals forget that these smartphones aren’t immune to being misplaced or stolen.

These situations are more likely when you allow your workforce to bring their mobile devices to the workplace. This explosion in the popularity of mobile devices has brought about a revolution in the work environment; one which has been previously unprecedented. A misplaced device could derail your business, especially if that device holds sensitive corporate data for either your business or one of your affected clients. This can quickly spiral out of control if you have clients in other states.

This liability isn’t something that you want saddling your business. Due to the immense pressure and risk associated with BYOD, some businesses are abandoning the idea altogether. However, it’s important to take into account the hearts of technology fans that you’re breaking by enacting such a policy. Unfortunately, it’s a fine line that needs to be walked. On one hand, you have the increased productivity offered by BYOD, while on the other you have an increased spread of your business’s data. A mobile device management solution can help bypass the risks and reap all of the rewards of BYOD.

Of course, the first step is to enforce a BYOD policy in your workplace. This includes establishing rules that each employee must follow who wants access to their work-related data and communication systems with their mobile device. Good policies to set up include using password-protected devices and encryption, as well as remote device wiping. This helps prevent sensitive information from reaching the hands of hackers if a device is lost or stolen.

With a powerful mobile device management solution from XFER, you can have control over which devices access confidential data and keep better track of the risks associated with allowing your team to use their own devices. BYOD offers these benefits for the modern office:

• Reduced costs.
• Access to the latest technology.
• Improves employee satisfaction.
• Appeals to younger workers.
• Offers a mobile workforce.

Integrating a BYOD policy into your current workplace can be challenging at times, but it doesn’t have to be. XFER can assist you every step of the way with our remote IT services. For more information about what we can do for your business, give XFER a call at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER.