The Challange – Security Vs. Mobility
The two key components of a modern business IT strategy are security and mobility. From an IT perspective, it is getting increasingly difficult to determine the balance between the two.
Some organizations have managed to strike a balance with their BYOD strategy by implementing some form of endpoint protection and monitoring solution that can ensure that these devices adhere to corporate policies and guidelines. But others have fallen victim to ransomware infections because they have not taken any additional precautions beyond the norm for traditional PCs or laptops on their network.
The key question that needs to be asked is if you are willing to gamble that your endpoint protection and monitoring tools will provide adequate security for the sensitive data your employees are responsible for.
Security for BYOD devices is a matter of risk management. By opening up your network to smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, you create new holes in your defenses, but it also provides new avenues for employees to be productive outside of the office walls. You need to balance how much risk you're willing to incur against the potential gains from giving employees more flexibility in how they do their jobs.
A BYOD policy is a matter of access and privilege management. For employees to be productive, they need to allow themselves to be on their BYOD devices at least some of the time. You will need to ensure that your corporate policies are clear about what's allowed and what isn't, and that employees have access to the necessary applications and tools needed to do their job.
An effective BYOD policy will also require that you have an information security incident response plan in place that addresses problems as they occur, regardless of whether the device is connecting over internal or public networks.
Collaboration is another key aspect of BYOD policy management. The ability to communicate, collaborate and share work has become a critical part of the modern business landscape, and an effective BYOD policy will ensure that your employees can do so effectively.
While you can make the case that BYOD is a threat to security, it doesn't really matter if it's a threat if you don't take the necessary steps to mitigate it. Likewise, there are many more business benefits that could be gained by outsourcing certain aspects of your BYOD strategy, but if you're not ready to move in this direction then you could lose any potential benefit from implementation.
In the end, the decision on whether to support a BYOD strategy is a business decision that needs to be weighed carefully. Depending on your specific situation, you may decide that it's not worth the risk or that you'd be better off leaving this space to your competitors. The one thing you cannot afford to do is to not get the input of your IT security team when making this decision.
If a BYOD policy will be implemented, then it is important for the IT department to take an active role in ensuring compliance. It is equally important for an organization's IT staff members to ensure that their business partners are also aware of their obligations in order for such a policy to work effectively.
The risks involved with BYOD policies are well-known, so it is the corporate responsibility of an IT department to ensure that these risks are mitigated. This may involve additional endpoint security solutions, new security monitoring tools, or possibly even stronger auditing capabilities within their enterprise-wide applications.
A technically integrated IT system is key to ensuring that all employees are working on secure devices and that any potential issues with compliance can be managed effectively. This integration also provides the necessary capabilities and data points needed to effectively monitor network traffic and compliance issues as they arise.
Another important aspect of BYOD policy management is employee education. It is imperative for all employees to understand both the risks and the benefits involved with using their personal devices in the workplace. This is especially true with regards to sensitive information that can be lost if an employee's device is compromised. It's also important to remember that a BYOD policy will only work effectively if it's supported by executive management. Without this support, implementing BYOD will prove challenging at best.
A comprehensive BYOD policy that includes a solid security strategy will ensure that your corporate data remains protected at all times and that your employees have unfettered access to their business applications and data anytime, anywhere. The key is to have your corporate data managed effectively, and this can only be achieved through a comprehensive end-to-end security strategy that also addresses BYOD matters.
The Challenges of BYOD Policy Management – Part 2: The Implementation Stage (Coming Soon!)
We are all in agreement that the multiple threats of BYOD are real and that a risk management approach is essential. We also agree that security professionals should be part of the decision-making process. Let's get our heads together and look at the implementation stage. How do we do this? Is it even possible? How can the business community be involved?
How to Implement a BYOD Policy 1. Set the Culture: Before you can get to a BYOD policy, you first have to set the culture. In organizations where IT staff are seen as part of their own silo, there is no chance that security policies will be considered with equal importance. If there is no place for security, then you need to change it. The easiest way to do this is already in place: bring management into your discussions on security. If they agree with the idea, they will not fight against it. 2. The Benefits of BYOD: If you know that BYOD provides clear benefits to your organization, then you should take a step back and consider what your employees really want to do with their time and where they get the most value from life at work. Working from home can be central to many people's lives, but if it is only used for personal entertainment then it doesn't make much sense. If you know that employees actually want to work from home, then this is a great opportunity for the business to expand its culture, attract better talent, and become more diverse throughout all levels of the organization. 3.
Conclusion: While BYOD can introduce security risks, it is not something to be afraid of. With the right tools and the right culture, you can empower your employees and have them running all core business operations whilst benefiting from a more agile workforce that doesn't rely on the physical office. The business benefits are clear: improved employee satisfaction, reduced costs, increased productivity, and a clearer focus on the bottom line. These benefits should make it a no-brainer for any organization to adopt BYOD into their everyday work practices.
Posted by Beathe Bechmann Bjordal at 2:44 PM 2 comments:
The several different methods of wireless connection available today makes it difficult to choose the one that is best suited for your business needs.