IT Security Can Look Like a Hero If It Leads the Charge to Establish Enterprise BYOD Policies

Paula Musich

Summary Bullets:

• IT security groups should be proactive in establishing policies that govern the use of employee smartphones and tablets in the enterprise to improve their reputation as productivity enablers, rather than stumbling blocks.
• Key considerations include what devices to allow, how corporate data and apps will be accessed, where data will reside, and what the users’ risk profiles are.

Some recent surveys suggest that while many enterprises are now allowing employees to use their own devices to access corporate networks and applications, few have established formal usage policies for those BYOD users.  One study published last month by security awareness training company KnowBe4 found that 71% of businesses allowing employees to use their own smartphones and laptops for work-related tasks did not have usage policies and processes in place to secure and support those devices.  This is the perfect opening for enterprise security and IT risk groups to seize the day and take a leadership role in defining the enterprise’s BYOD policy, setting themselves up as enablers, rather than roadblocks to improved employee productivity.