BYOD is Only Helpful If the Devices Are Secure

Mobile devices are so common nowadays that you’ll likely encounter your employees bringing multiple devices to the office on a regular basis. Little do they know that everything they bring with them, from their Fitbit to their laptop, poses a security threat. Of course, the threat level from each individual device will depend on what it is exactly, but the point stands that the less you do about mobile device security now, the more danger your organization will be in down the road.

There is a very simple rule that you can use to gauge how vulnerable your business’ infrastructure is to mobile devices. The more devices have access to a network and its contents, the more likely it is that you’ll be putting it in danger. If you aren’t careful about which information is accessed by certain users and devices, you could expose your business to considerable risk. Therefore, it’s critical that you put measures into place before the worst happens.

It all starts by implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy, which aims to improve the way that your business manages mobile devices without sacrificing data security in the process. Here are some of the most common features of a BYOD policy:

Blacklisting and Whitelisting Apps
Any apps that you download to your device have to be secure. Generally speaking, most apps that you will download should be safe for your company to use, but there are others out there that have only malicious intentions. Naturally, you’ll want your devices to be equipped with whitelisting and blacklisting capabilities so that you can control what types of apps are found on company devices. The theory here is that you can prevent hacking attacks and data leaks by preventing malicious apps from installing on the devices in the first place.

Remote Wiping
What happens when you lose a device? You might have a lot to worry about, or you might not. It depends on where the device has been lost. If you misplaced it in your office or home, perhaps you can locate it. If you leave it on the train, there’s no telling who will find it. Perhaps a good Samaritan will want to return the device, but chances are that it will be exploited by whoever becomes its new owner, be it someone who just wants a new device, or a hacker intent on stealing as much data from the device as possible. Remotely wiping the device allows you to maintain the integrity of your infrastructure and its data, even in a worst-case scenario.

A BYOD policy is an incredibly important aspect of a modern technology infrastructure. Do you have one? Washington Works can help you implement all of the best solutions to secure your mobile devices. To learn more, reach out to us at 301-571-5040.