SECURITY-MINDED FOR BYOD – BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

Consider the following tips to help maintain security in a BYOD environment:

1. An Acceptable Use Policy will protect your business from user activity that might be unacceptable – or even illegal.
2. Define the term “sensitive information” in your BYOD policy, including who should have access to it.
3. Two-factor authentication should be the standard, allowing employees to use their devices as the second factor.
4. Encryption of sensitive data on mobile devices helps prevent a breach if a device is lost or stolen.
5. Do not allow jailbroken devices to be used, as they create vulnerability to malware, viruses, and hacking.
6. Mandatory employee enrolment in Mobile Device Management programs protects both users and their devices.
7. Regularly update all devices, as even minor updates can fix potential security vulnerabilities.
8. Business and personal data should be kept separate to protect both sensitive company information and employee privacy.
9. Using a VPN connection ensures that all data is transmitted securely.
10. Offline access should be prevented so that sensitive information can only be accessed when a user is connected to the private network.