BYOD is the acronym that sums up 2020.

“LOL! I have to SMH…Boss says I have to BYOD? OMG.”

The internet loves acronyms. Short and snappy, they express complex ideas and, in the case of BYOD, a whole world of issues for companies with staff working remotely through the pandemic.

More than 5.2 billion people on Earth have cell phones, according to GSMA Intelligence. And, in North America at least, 90 percent of them bring them to work, reducing the need for company-issued devices.

But the rise of BYOD or Bring Your Own Device policies have meant substantial security risks, notes Brad Fulton, Intega IT’s Director – Customer Success and Business Development.

“There’s a difference between an employee using their mobile phones at work and using them to work. The first is not generally an issue if there is no access to the company network. But if a personal device is used to work, there needs to be very strictly defined security protocols in place.”

One of the biggest issues in implementing a BYOD policy comes down to how much control a company can exert over a personal device, and how much of the information on that device belongs to the employee, he says.

Problems also arise when there are data breaches on lost or stolen devices (only seven percent are ever recovered, says Druva), or when information is not removed from a personal phone when an employee leaves. According to Trend Micro, at least 70 percent of employees also use company-issued tablets to download personal apps.

“The BYOD market is expected to top $350 million by 2022, so the need for proper and well-designed security protocols is more important than ever,” he says.

Learn more about BYOD protocols at info@intega.ca.

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