Creating BYOD value while minimizing risk

Bring Your Own Device programs are growing in popularity, and, as they evolve, the techniques for managing them are evolving as well. Introducing BYOD programs into the workplace comes with obvious security risks, as more connected devices present more vectors for malware or network breaches, but there's no avoiding the reality that smartphones and tablets are here to stay. Nonetheless, companies need to be deliberate in the way they deploy BYOD.

In many cases, employees are either unaware of the security risks their device use can introduce, or they simply don't care. According to a recent survey by identity management software firm Centrify, 15 percent of employees believe they have minimal to no responsibility to protect data stored on their personal devices. Additionally, 43 percent said they have accessed sensitive corporate data while connected to an unsecured public network.

Traditionally, the response to this type of threat has been to limit employees' device use with restrictive policies and enterprise mobility management tools, a recent TechTarget article noted. However, such limitations can easily restrict the benefits BYOD offers in the first place. As a result, the preferred approach is trending toward implementing better controls on the network and storage levels, giving users more choice of device while taking precautions like protecting their data via hosting it remotely in a secure cloud environment. The ideal security approach will vary by organization, making it useful to work with a managed services provider specializing in BYOD to develop a custom solution.