Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is one of the most popular terms in today’s business circles. Brought on by the rapid evolution of mobile technology, this policy allows employees to bring their own smartphones and tablets into the office and use them as working machines.
At its core, BYOD is designed to promote business efficiency, but not everyone is on board with it. Security is always a major concern with business technology, and the idea of BYOD has heightened many of those fears. If an employee stores sensitive company data on his or her device, takes it outside of the office and then either loses it or has it stolen, the security of the entire organization could be put in jeopardy.
Even businesses that refuse to implement BYOD strategies know they can’t completely prevent an employee from using a personal device to store company data. As long as workers bring their smartphones to work with them, data is always going to be at risk. The New York Times recently featured a number of organizations that are creating solutions to avoid security risks brought on by personal mobile usage. Bill Burns, the director of IT infrastructure at Netflix, told the Times that you can’t avoid personal device usage, so it’s best to implement a system designed to build additional security layers.
“People are going to bring their own devices, their own data, their own software applications, even their own work groups,” Burns said. “If you try and implant software that limits an employee’s capabilities, you’re adding a layer of complexity.”
Companies should not be discouraging the use of personal devices in the workplace, because the need to do so usually equates to the desire to build personal productivity. Creating a custom database software system can allow companies to store sensitive data off of personal devices, while still giving them access through secure applications. This allows businesses to keep sensitive information onsite, while promoting efficiency through the use of smartphones and tablets.