BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

You may be asking “What’s BYOD?“

BYOD is a relative new acronym which simply means: Bring Your Own Device

More and more companies today are experiencing this movement where employees use their own devices for work. It may be a Smart Phone, tablet, netbook, notebook or some other new technology.

When they bring their own device to work, is it a good deal or a bad deal?  Well, that depends.

The Good News

Here are some of the factors that can make BYOD a good deal:

• No cost to the company to acquire the newer technology
• No on-going maintenance and repair
• No on-going cost of upgrading related software
• No cost of training the employee on their own device
• The employee is happier and more productive using their latest technology

The Bad News

Here are some factors to consider that may more than offset the good news:

• Your internal data may leave the office and be lost, stolen or accessed by unauthorized personnel
• Your data may be subject to a virus because of the employee’s lack of security commitment
• Your confidential data may go with that employee when they quit or are downsized
• The device may not be updated as required and create headaches for your IT staff
• Your employee may feel it is acceptable to use their device for personal activities during work hours

Bottom Line

Your company can certainly benefit from the use of employee-provided devices.  But, you can also be exposed to serious risks from the use of those devices.

So, it all depends on the device, the employee and your ability to both protect your data and enforce any BYOD policies you may develop.  BYOD really is something to think about – especially with regard to safe computing!

Want To Dig a Little Deeper?

Click here to view an article in PCWorld by Tom Bradley who offers additional insights…