Spawned on by the recent increase in work from home situations due to the COVID-19 outbreak ever-increasing Lax bring your own device (BYOD) policies are a growing Cybersecurity concern for businesses. If you're not managing your organization's BYOD policy properly, it can pose a host of cybersecurity risks for your company. Below are some of the inherent security risks of BYOD.
To mitigate these risks, you must devise a BYOD security policy that works for the needs of your business as well as the needs of your employees. Here’s what you need to do:
Prevent unauthorized access to company data by enforcing the use of passwords on all employee devices and accounts. Passwords should be unique; contain letters, numbers, and symbols; and are at least 12 characters long. It’s also a good idea to implement multifactor authentication to add another method of identity verification such as fingerprint scans or temporary passcodes sent via email.
Blacklisting involves prohibiting the installation of certain applications on BYOD devices that are used for work purposes. This includes applications like games, SOCial Networking'>Social Networking apps, and third-party file-sharing platforms. The simplest way to blacklist applications is through a mobile device management platform that enables IT administrators to secure and enforce policies on enrolled devices.
Adopt the principle of least privilege on both BYOD and company devices. This means that a user is able to access only the data and software required to do their job. This can reduce the effects of certain types of malware and limit the fallout in the event of a data breach
Anti-malware software identifies and removes malware before they cause irreparable harm to a device. The best anti-malware programs are often backed by the latest threat intelligence databases and use behavior-based detection techniques to pick up any traces of malware and solutions like SentinelOne can save you from days of downtime by preventing malware and Ransomware infections
A well-thought-out BYOD policy can go a long way toward minimizing the risk of a security breach, but if something manages to slip past your defenses, you need to have backups prepared. Back up your data in off-site servers and in the cloud to ensure that any data stored locally on a device can be quickly recovered.
Use software to monitor your remote employees so you can not only ensure that remote employees are keeping busy but you can help stop risky behaviors. ActivTrak is a great software to monitor your remote employees
The vast majority of BYOD-related security risks involve human error. This is why you should educate your employees about cybersecurity and proper mobile safety. Train them on spotting apps that could contain malware, sharing security threat updates, and securing their devices beyond enabling default security settings.
You should also approach us if you need assistance with protecting your BYOD environment. As a professional Managed IT Services provider, we keep tabs on the latest trends and innovations related to BYOD and will recommend solutions that work for your company. Contact us today to see how we can help.