Most Organizations Support BYOD

While most organizations allow the use of employee-owned mobile devices in the workplace, many don’t put proper security measures in place to prevent a hacking attack or data leak.

Every agency has sensitive information that cannot be exposed under any circumstances, and it’s the agency owner’s responsibility to make sure policies are put in place to protect this data.

A study by Bitglass reveals that 72 percent of organizations, including those in the financial, technology, healthcare, government, and education sectors, believe that BYOD should be supported for at least some of their employees. However, only 14 percent of these organizations protect corporate data with device encryption. This is a significant disparity, and one that should be addressed before your agency implements a BYOD strategy.

With a proper mobile device management solution in place your business can have full control over the devices your employees use, and the flow of data stored on them. Below are some of the features available for your mobile devices:

• Whitelisting and blacklisting apps: Some applications on your employees' phones will request access to information stored on a mobile device for no good reason. For example, a flashlight app has no business accessing your phone’s contacts or geographical location. By whitelisting and blacklisting apps, you can minimize your data’s exposure to threats.
• Role-based user access: One of the easiest ways to minimize risk to your organization’s data is to limit who has access to it. By integrating role-based user access, you can allow your team to access data they need to do their jobs properly, and keep them from accessing data they don’t need.
• Remote wiping: Sometimes the best way to prevent a data breach is by remotely wiping data from a lost or stolen device. You shouldn’t rely on a missing device suddenly showing up, especially if it was left in a public place like a bus or subway station. Always be prepared for a worst-case scenario.

For more information about BYOD and our mobile device management solution, reach out to SMART Services at 586 258-0650 .