4 Byod Strategies For Security Against Risks

By Author: Steve Ray
Total Articles: 3
Comment this article

As more and more employees use smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices for both personal and professional use, security becomes an increasingly bigger issue. Sensitive corporate data is highly vulnerable to theft on employee-owned mobile devices. However, it is difficult to work without these devices, as productivity may suffer. To improve upon the'bring your own device policy'; there are four key strategies you need to implement in your organization. These will not only helpdesk administrators, but also reduce common IT headaches.

Data Encryption

Most of the laptops, tablets and other devices that connect through Wi-Fi use a public connection, which is almost never encrypted. No matter how much precaution you take, it may be difficult to control this completely.No BYOD strategy can fully prevent this from happening. That is why you need to encrypt all your data instead. IT groups should distribute and manage Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions for all mobile devices, as well as establish guidelines for remote access.

Managing Lost/Stolen Devices

One of the major concerns for BYOD security ...
... is managing the data on a lost or stolen device. So, the question is do you have a plan for saving all the data on these devices?Confidential information such as financial information, client and employee data, and confidential company information could be leaked. IT teams should have a specific action plan in their BYOD policy for dealing with this contingency. This should include such steps as changing email, Dropbox, and other passwords if they were installed on the device. They should also agree to install remote wiping and locking tools.

Monitoring and Controlling Network Usage

With the use of mobile device management or MDM software, you can constantly check for updates, changes and malware on the network. Plus, you may lookout for network bottlenecks and ensure compliance with BYOD policies. IT teams integrate service desk software with an MDM that delivers real-time network use data. These systems track when a device signs in, what the user accesses, and whether the device is configured with the appropriate security software.

Anti-Malware/Virus Infrastructure

This is the most basic necessity, but is probably taken for granted. You need to ensure that your devices and networks are equipped with anti-virus and anti-malware systems.These functions are sometimes wrapped into VPN or MDM software. Others can be installed separately to fight exposure to viruses, malware and spammers.

With these four strategies you are sure to have the finest BYOD structure in your organization.