How to keep employee smartphones, laptops
and tablets secure
The first and best defense in securing BYODs (Bring Your Own Device) begins with the same requirements you apply to devices that are already on your network. These security measures include:
- Enforcing strong passcodes on all devices
- Antivirus protection and data loss prevention (DLP)
- Full-disk encryption for disk, removable media and cloud storage
- Mobile device management (MDM) to wipe sensitive data when devices are lost or stolen
- Application control
You should always extend encryption to both data in transit and data at rest. Protecting your devices with strong passwords means you make it incredibly difficult for someone to break in and steal data. But if somehow your device-level password is compromised, encrypting the data stored on the device provides a second level of security a hacker must get through in order to steal your data.
You should encourage users to think of the extra layers of security as helpful tools that give them the ability to use their own devices within the workplace. By password protecting devices, a user acknowledges accountability and responsibility for protecting their data.
In addition to applying passcodes and antivirus prevention to your devices, you should apply a custom level of application control to BYODs. If applications are available to employees on the internal network, they should be able to access them offsite through a VPN or email software.
A successful BYOD program allows your users to be productive outside of their scheduled work hours while also giving them the flexibility to do the things they like to do when they’re not working—like update their status or enjoy playing an interactive game.
Whatever decision you make for your BYOD policy, be sure that it’s enforceable and enables IT to deploy software remotely.
Let us assist you in BYOD security solutions:
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