BYOD Security Policy: A General Guidelines For Every Business

These days, with the high spread of COVID-19, most information technology companies are promoting work from home culture. It helps in improving the security and safety of employees. But, with a WFH, employees have to connect personal devices like smartphones, computers, tablets, or other USB drives to the company network. Unwanted access to the work-related system creates a scope for harming confidential business data. Therefore, for the organization that is promoting and supporting employees to work from home, flexible work scheduling, having a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solution becomes a prevalent option.

Here we have a list of the most common BYOD security policies for your company:

1. Password Provision

Every company deals with sensitive information. This could be related to customer’s bank accounts, personal details, or others, therefore a password is an unavoidable and non-negotiable factor. Most companies create strong passwords and others change passwords on all mobile and computers from 30 to 60 days. Remember, do not use the birthday, anniversary, or name for password login in a secure manner.

2. Privacy Provisions

Company data solely belongs to the company, therefore no other person or company’s interference is tolerated. BYOD policies define the way one is expected to use devices. For example, if as per company policy, employees are expected to bring your own iPhone for official purposes, it will not be any android phone. Even some companies use to tell workers that if you are using personal devices for work purposes, do not expect privacy. So, it must be the company’s policy to be clear about the device during the interview.

Provisions for Data Transfer For BYOD

Today all sensitive information related to the company’s client is stored in an app. If someone is using the app, which is unauthorized and can affect company data, serious legal ramifications. Therefore, it must be added in company policies to choose a secured means of data transfer or from recommended authentic apps only.

Keep Device up-to-date For BYOD

Devices or application updates not only help the user to use amended services but a high security coding also saves the device. Therefore, it should be essential for a mobile device management solution to use an updated version of the device and application for business security. It must be included in every company’s policies for safety.

Common Sense Provisions For BYOD

There are some common issues that are seen with the rapid development of technology, especially mobile phones. People are developing bad habits like using devices while driving or taking more personal calls during working hours. One of the most trendings is making videos during working hours except breaks. All this usage can affect device security and boost chances for mobile or device misusages.

Approved Applications

At the workplace, most people use apps intentionally or unintentionally. But some of these are meant for an account and data theft from your device. Therefore, it is important for corporations to fix a restriction for certain apps including social media or other personal networking sites usage from their particular device. These could be e-mails, CRM, messaging apps, or other approved applications only. Most organizations create employees’ email ids at their own server. It helps in saving data from hackers.

During Termination Policies for For BYOD

When an employee is leaving an organization, it must be the company’s policy to be sure that he/she has removed all data. The manager must deactivate all their IDs from business records. If the employee is terminated the company should remove all devices and apps permission to stop the worst things to happen.

Accountability Provisions For BYOD

It is a common human nature that without a provision for accountability, no employees take any policy seriously. Therefore, every policy needs teeth to make people answerable. The company should also know how accountability is tracked, measured, and enforced. Every employee not only understands policies but must be aware of the consequences for not following them.

Other Policies For BYOD Plan

Set a few benchmarks for the employees that define their dos and don’ts. It makes the process easy and they know about violating rules. For example, if you are allowing employees to use a VPN on a device and they are posting personal posts on Facebook, it will be a violation of company rules. Monitor your employee’s tools used for various official and unofficial purposes from the device.

Bottom Line

There are a number of technologies that made security systems more secure and reliable. These could include, strong passwords, following the privacy provisions, data transfer. Each company must define these provisions to their employees in their policies. So that everyone should develop a habit of obeying them from the first day of the joining.

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