Helpful Tips For Better Byod

By Author: Abraham Brown
Total Articles: 6
Comment this article

It seems like everyone's got a Smartphone at least! Between Smartphone's and tablets, everyone you work with is likely connected to the internet around the clock through a mobile device. Some organizations are starting to encourage their employees make use of their personal devices for work related reasons. It's a win-win all around; employees get to use a device they're comfortable with, they get the flexibility of attending to work on the go, and companies get higher productivity. However, it does require a bit of adjustment to ensure that your BYOD environment is secure and productive.

1. Know Your App Policy

Not all apps are good for productivity, and not all apps are secure. There are millions of apps out there, and some could cause security issues with an employee's device the very device that has access to your network. Depending on the industry this could be an extremely serious issue. In some cases it's hardly one at all. You can simply have employees connect through a virtual workspace which prevents enterprise data from being stored on their phone, and allow them to use whatever apps they please. But ...
... before you go with a free-for-all attitude, make sure that this meets regulatory requirements.

2. Respect Employee Privacy

You're going to be asking for quite a bit from your employees you're asking them to provide their own devices and to consent to remote wiping should their device be compromised. They see the necessity for all of this, but there's a point at which playing Big Brother should stop.

3. Track Usage

If the company is paying for plans (and they should be), then you'll also need to keep an eye on usage, and have policies in place for overages that occur during personal use. One way of handling this is to simply issue a monthly stipend at a flat rate. Another way is to track network usage specifically and base payments off of that, rather than the entire phone bill.

4. Have Limits Regarding Allowed Devices

Consider what €Bring Your Own Device€ really means in terms of devices. Will you allow only iOS devices, or only Android, or both? Only the latest generations or are older devices okay as well? What about jail broken and rooted devices? There's no right answer here, because it really depends on your company's security infrastructure and needs.

5. Communicate Clearly

One of the most important things you can do to improve your BYOD environment is to communicate clearly with your employees regarding what is and isn't acceptable. You'll also need to make sure they know and understand what rights the organization has in terms of the data on their device, and what measures the organization can take to protect that data.

BYOD Security and productivity strategies are still evolving, but it looks like BYOD will be here to stay one way or another. It's important to lay a good foundation for your BYOD policy early on; it will benefit both the employee and the organization.

Article Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Helpful-Tips-For-Better-BYOD/9500644/