BYOD Challenges

By now, almost everyone in the business community has heard of the BYOD or Bring your own device phenomenon, where you actually bring your own digital devices (laptops, smartphons, etc.) to work You’ve also probably heard that forbidding BYOD is an ineffective way to protect your company against the security risks that BYOD presents. The best thing to do? Create an ironclad BYOD policy that protects your company’s sensitive data and also lays out clear instructions and expectations for employees.

An issue that frequently comes up in the BYOD discussion is privacy. Employees want to know if businesses have access to their personal files. Businesses have to constantly worry about sensitive data ending up on an unprotected employee device. Will an employee accept remotely wiping a lost device that has company files or company access if it means losing their personal files and data? That depends on how familiar the employee is with your BYOD policy. If they know before hand, they can set up file back-up measures on their smartphones, which will lessen the impact of a remote wipe.

To solve this issue and a myriad of others that crop up with BYOD, you need to create a solid policy and integrate it into your company culture. Educate employees, have them sign off on the policy, and frequently update and remind them of policy conditions. With employees and an IT department that are both well informed and on board, you minimize many of the security risks associated with BYOD. The trend does not have to be dangerous to businesses, if businesses know how to handle it. For a list of common BYOD problems and how to fix them, check out T-Mobile’s BYOD Challenges infographic.
T-Mobile's BYOD Challenges