What Is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)? BYOD Defined and Explained
Learn about Bring Your Own Device policies and how to support them.
Global Threat Landscape Report 2H 2023 Speak with an ExpertBYOD stands for bring your own device, and the most commonly accepted BYOD meaning is when employees use their own personal devices to connect to the organization's network and access what they need to do their jobs. This includes data and information that could be potentially sensitive or confidential.
The devices used for BYOD could include smartphones, tablets, personal computers, laptops, or USB drives. This offers employees more freedom to use the devices that make them better able to perform day-to-day tasks, which, in the long run, saves employers money. However, BYOD has to be carefully managed with a focus on maintaining security and productivity.
Bring your own device (BYOD) represents an opportunity for employees to boost their productivity, and when executed using the appropriate safety protocols, a bring-your-own-device policy provides a combination of flexibility and security.
Here is how BYOD works.
In the context of the above BYOD meaning, as is the case with all networking, the first step is to ensure that whenever a user connects to your system, regardless of the device they are using, they do so in a secure manner. Therefore, you need to:
To adequately safeguard your digital assets, figure out which devices to allow to connect. This can prevent a range of less secure devices from accessing your network, such as those with older operating systems with outdated security features the manufacturer no longer supports. The number of devices you allow to access your network is also important because the more that connect, the larger your attack surface.
Here are some questions that could guide your thinking around this decision:
There are several pros and cons of BYOD, and one of the most significant drawbacks is the number of new vulnerabilities it can introduce to your network. BYOD comes with unique data safety challenges. A foundational issue driving the need for BYOD security is you cannot control who has physical access to each device.
For example, when a device is kept inside the office, only those with a physical key, digital key card, and, in some cases, biometric authentication credentials can get their hands on it. But when it is at someone’s home, it may be relatively easy for a hacker to hire a thief to break in and take your employee’s laptop. The hacker can then bring it home and attack it in their personal lab, using a number of online and offline methods.
Also, it is harder to limit the number of viruses and other malware BYOD devices get exposed to because they spend so much time outside your internal firewall protections. This means the number and variety of malicious software floating around each device can be significantly greater than that of an in-house device.
With so many Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices accessing cloud networks, it is more important than ever to have adequate visibility into the devices attached to your network. Every time a device interfaces with your cloud network, it opens the possibility for data to be taken or mismanaged.
An employee may also accidentally allow a hacker to get into the network because their device is not secure enough. It is an easy mistake to make. The device may feel secure on a day-to-day basis and even show zero signs of being infected with malware. However, that does not mean it should automatically qualify to access your network.
This is particularly true if your organization is well-known for its BYOD policy. People with ill intentions may target your organization, knowing that if they can access the device of an employee, they could gain a back door into your network. Without properly screening each device, you are potentially giving a hacker easy access to sensitive content and important cloud infrastructure.
With a BYOD policy, it can be a challenge to control or monitor who is connecting, what they are connecting with, and the risks each device poses to your network. It is crucial that you carefully screen all access to the network.
With a BYOD policy, it can be a challenge to control or monitor who is connecting, what they are connecting with, and the risks each device poses to your network. It is crucial that you carefully screen all access to the network.
The first step is to ensure that whenever a user connects to your system, regardless of the device they are using, they do so in a secure manner. Use strong passwords, determine the kinds of sensitive data, place mobile security tools on devices, choose time-based lockout features, and determine how to wipe sensitive information off the user's device.
The devices used for BYOD could include smartphones, tablets, personal computers, laptops, or USB drives.
It can be a challenge to control or monitor who is connecting, what they are connecting with, and the risks each device poses to your network.
Please fill out the form and a knowledgeable representative will get in touch with you soon.