Increased Mobile Device Use Means Increased Risk for Businesses

Smartphones, laptops, and Chromebooks empower today’s workforce to be more mobile, and employees are often the driving force behind this. Chances are, if your business hasn’t even begun to think about your mobile IT strategy, a percentage of your staff already has.

Last year, Gartner conducted a huge survey that concludes just that. Here are the stats:

• 8 in 10 of employees bring their personal mobile device to work.
• 37% of employees receive laptops from their employer.
• Only 23% of employees surveyed were given corporate-issued smartphones.
• Yet, 10% of employees given a work device don’t use personal devices as well.
• That said, only 20% of all employees who were given a work device were dissatisfied with it. Typically the satisfaction level is higher with smartphones compared to desktops and laptops.
• More than 50% of all employees who use smartphones for work use their personal device.
• 2/3 of employees use a personal device, whether it is a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, for work.

So what does all of this have to do with your data? Employers have worked hard to protect and centralize company information, and control access to files and email. Once employees add personal mobile devices to the mix, it adds a whole new layer of complexity. 

So Really, What Are the Risks of Personal Devices?
If left unchecked, there are plenty of risks. This is why employers go to such drastic lengths to try and control mobile device use in the workplace; or, even prevent it altogether.

A lost smartphone or tablet could give someone access to company email, which might include sensitive client information, processes, passwords, and a whole lot of other data. A personal laptop that gets hacked or infected could bring the same risks, while spreading the infection onto your network. If an employee uses public Wi-Fi, even a novice could muscle their way into the data and get passwords, correspondence, and other information.

Even worse, if a disgruntled employee quits, they could have access to your contact lists, files, and everything else they had while employed. The trouble they can cause could keep you busy for a long time.

Let Directive Help Devise your BYOD Strategy
A BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy, also known as a mobile device management strategy, will protect your company’s data, as well as allow employees to take advantage of mobile devices and the many benefits they can bring to an organization. By crafting a thoughtful, well-documented plan for what’s allowed, what needs to be done, and what’s at stake, you can keep business moving quickly without hindering employees or your data. Plus, many of the key elements of a BYOD policy can drive even more innovation and collaboration.

Let’s talk about it. Give us a call at 607.433.2200 and ask how we can protect your data while keeping your business mobile.