Historically employers always provided their employees with devices such as desktop computers with which to carry out their work. But now with the interconnected way of working and the rise of IoT, personal equipment use in the workplace is more common. The distinction has to be made however between using a personal phone at work and using that same phone to access systems and company files while carrying out your job. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) sounds great in theory but in the need for a BYOD policy becomes apparent quite quickly when the pros and cons are explored. Take for example the fact that most organizations have not factored each and every employees device activity into their security protocols and a line has to be defined and enforced between personal use and work devices.
The pros
Cost cutting
Employees bringing their own devices to work saves money on hardware first of all, and software when considering the licenses that might need updating. Secondly support and training that comes along with hardware including the fixes for breakages can come at a premium. Next there is the actual telecoms elements specifically the cellphone and data plans. All this simply goes away if the organization does not own the technology and reduces operating costs.
Added mobility and flexibility
For those who are not rigidly tied to an office or travel greatly for their work the BYOD is a boon. Commutes are simplified because large amounts of hardware can be consolidated into one item with easy access.
A rise in productivity
Using a single device simplifies allows employees to transition easily between work and personal time and leads to higher productivity. The ease which BYOD brings facilitates this especially if the device is customized to the user and removes the need to learn different operating systems. That frees up need for OS training adding another time and cost saving and increasing productivity. Linked quite closely to this is employee satisfaction. Having invested in the devices employees prefer to use them more than IT department preselected tools. Allowing the use of BYOD adds autonomy, trust and empowerment.
The cons
Security vulnerabilities
The primary concern with an influx of devices is definitely that of cybersecurity and increased incidents of data breaches. When the hardware and software is centrally monitored by an IT department the risks can be mitigated, without this the back door is being held wide open to threat. Preventing devices from malware is very hard to when connecting to the internet from anywhere and everywhere.The way to corral and create a centralized vetting process is via the adoption of a BYOD policy. These vary from place to place but the core tenets are the same and allow cohesion and reassurance.
Scalability
With the increasing demands of BYOD what happens to the existing network infrastructure in the workplace? Quite often it cannot handle the added traffic and thus BYOD hit a brick wall in their advance.
Draining tech support
IT departments are equipped to deal with a set number of systems that they are already aware of and have allocated resource to supporting. BYOD widens the field greatly and though they do not cost the employer initially they do so in additional support and require the IT team to be much more robust.
Disparities between devices
Not all devices can support the same programs or operating systems and BYOD exacerbates the compatibility issue. IT departments are given the freedom to supply the device ideally suited to their needs and have factored in the compatibility concerns and outlined the technological features that serves the business best. With BYOD the user is simply using his own preference criteria as a factor in choosing their device. They quite often have not considered quality or compatibility.
BYOD policy
This is not a guarantee of risk mitigation for an organization, but a means of providing order and a semblance of cohesion. It does not police employees and the sheer fact devices are used for business tasks means data will be shared via email, apps, or other methods regardless. To establish whether a BYOD policy is what you need to consider if the benefits outweigh the risks involved.