Working from home and being able to take work out of the
office makes working life easier but can be a nightmare for data privacy. With
an estimated 56 per cent of employees reporting that they either very frequently
or frequently stored sensitive data on their laptops, smartphones, tablets, and
other mobile devices, the chances of confidential information getting lost or
into the wrong hands are very high.
Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) is part of the modern workplace. It’s becoming more and more normal for business information to be stored in
or accessed by devices that are not fully controlled by IT administrators, and
the possibility of data breaches caused by personal devices that aren’t
properly protected is also on the rise.
Protecting business information on mobile devices can be as simple as
encrypting files and/or password protecting the device - it won’t stop them
being lost but IT admin will be able to selectively remove sensitive encrypted
data and the chances of someone using stolen information maliciously are
much smaller if it’s not possible to get straight into any files that may be
sensitive. The issue is clouded when the device actually belongs to the
employee and not the business, however.
Most businesses think nothing of allowing employees to use
their own devices to access email, office calendars and contacts, and a
strong BYOD policy is vital if company information is accessible on the go, via
personal devices.
Which devices are allowed?
It’s up to you to set the boundaries and specify what’s
acceptable. If you only want to support employees’ personal Android devices and
not iPhones or iPads, or vice versa, make that policy and stick to it.
Enforce strict security rules
People don’t like having complicated passwords and lock
screens - they get in the way of fast access to their devices and longer, more
effective passwords are also easier to forget. If they are using their own
mobile devices for work however, you can’t afford to leave them on a swipe and
go setting. If your staff members want to be able to use their own gadgets for
work too, they will just have to accept that they need to use a complex
password to access them.
Banning apps
This also applies to corporate devices - social media
browsing apps, email applications and VPNs or other remote-access software need
careful consideration when you’re formulating a data protection policy.
Although the devices are people’s own, they will have to consider business
needs if they want the convenience of using them for work, and that includes
not using apps or settings that could potentially compromise data security.
Businesses also need to consider what could happen if an
employee leaves the company - you will have to have an agreed policy in place
allowing you to remove any access tokens, e-mail, data and other access
permissions.
Does your organisation have a BYOD policy? Do you have
permission from your employees to delete information from their personal devices
remotely when they leave, or if it’s lost/stolen? What safeguards are in place
to ensure that staff don’t store sensitive information remotely? If you need
advice on setting BYOD policies that keep your sensitive data safe, contact me
and I will be delighted to provide you with guidance and advice.
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