Effective BYOD (bring your own device) management starts with knowing the benefits of having employees use consumer technologies at work, then learning the security risks and implementing corporate BYOD security.
The consumerization of IT raises a single question across all sizes of organizations from small businesses to the enterprise: how do you implement and manage BYOD security in the workplace?
What is BYOD?
BYOD (short for bring your own device) is driven by employees who use popular consumer market technologies and devices at home and bring these personal devices and online services in the workplace.
BYOD security often refers to just the devices like smartphones, iPad and Android-based tablets and laptop computers but BYOD can also be used to describe personal online service accounts (think Facebook and personal cloud storage) that are also used by employees in the workplace.
BYOD Security Risks
The problem for IT is when employees use their own devices at work they can easily (and unintentionally) introduce a corporate network security risk or breach. Effective management starts with knowing what the BYOD security risks are and then implementing an appropriate BYOD security policy for your business.
The following BYOD white papers and best practice articles are direct links to free publications from trusted industry sources and experts. Registration to read the content is not required.
Recommended Reading: Webopedia’s consumerization of IT and BYOD definitions.
Free BYOD Security White Papers and Articles
Some of the topics covered in the following BYOD security whitepapers will help you to better understand the security concerns around BYOD by offering factual information on topics such as how to secure the devices, the security risks associated with BYOD and how to craft a good BYOD security policy.
The Consumerization of IT: Strike a Balance (Article)
Consumerization requires a strategic approach that reduces security risks, financial exposure, and management chaos. This strategy needs to be supported by a solutions infrastructure that helps you regain visibility and control by managing and protecting company and bring your own device (BYOD) liabilities, share corporate data confidently with secure access, backup and file sharing and protect data wherever it goes with context-aware security. (Source: Trend Micro)
BYOD & BYOC Security Concerns may Change Everything (Article)
In highly decentralized businesses enforcing BYOD security policies when the device accessing the information is employee owned can be difficult at the best of times. Yet a failure to enforce security policies, even unpopular ones, can leave an organization open to an audit finding or worse, a breach. (Source: CIO Update)
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Unleashed in the Age of IT Consumerization (White Paper)
These devices, which are powerful yet inexpensive and easy to use, help employees to be more productive no matter where they are. They can increase collaboration and the flow of information, enabling an organization to react more quickly to market conditions and customer needs. And they are becoming so ubiquitous that corporations often don t even have to buy the devices employees are bringing their personal smartphones or tablets to work. (Source: Bradford Networks)
How to Start Developing a BYOD Policy (Article)
Some corporations even sandbox email and PIM information so they do not reside on the device. Although this is a great security measure, most users will want to use their integrated and native applications wherever possible. Therefore, smartphone DLP solutions must be examined. (Source: Cloud Centrics)
BYOD: Get Ahead of the Risk (Article)
Intel in 2009 first recognized the issue of bring your own device, or BYOD, as employees increasingly wanted to use their own mobile devices in the workplace. Instead of turning their backs to the risk, Intel leaders embraced the technology, setting up an effective policy for employee-owned devices. The result: increased connectivity to Intel’s network, greater employee productivity and improved security measures. (Source: Gov Info Security)
A Framework for Successful BYOD Initiatives (White Paper)
While policy management must be centralized to ensure consistency, organizations need the flexibility to administer policy management in a distributed fashion. A BYOD access solution must support a range of administration levels and role-based administration across the security, IT and helpdesk organizations. (Source: Aruba White Paper)
The Evolution of IT: BYOD and Consumerization (Article)
The Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, movement is a reality for most IT departments today. And it’s generally accepted that it was spearheaded by the tremendous popularity of Apple consumer devices — primarily iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones. (Source: Technology News)
IBM BYOD: Bring Your Own Device (Resource)
our people use the devices they have chosen and invested in rather than what was selected by IT. 83 percent of users considered their mobile device more important than their morning cup of coffee. Allowing employees to use personal devices also helps them avoid carrying multiple devices. (IBM Resource)
This article was originally published on April 10, 2012
