Why Keeping Your Work and Personal Devices Separate is Crucial for Data Protection

Want to know how using personal devices for work is posing huge risks to company and client data protection. We discuss this topic, here…

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) means that employees can use their personal laptops, tablets, and phones in order to perform work functions. They can also use such devices to access the company’s systems and networks. In the last few years, particularly since the pandemic, BYOD has skyrocketed in UK workplaces due to many working from home now.

While using personal devices may be convenient for employees, it poses a greater risk of data breaches due to inadequate security on the device. Employers also have little to no control over how their works data is stored.

It’s thought that a significant number of data breaches in the UK are caused by employees using their own devices for work purposes. Nowadays, digital devices are capable of collating, holding, and distributing large amounts of data and information. For every advance in technology, there are further leaps and bounds in the realm of cybercrime. Here are some of the risks faced by businesses when they adopt a BYOD policy…

Why is Using Your Own Device for Work a Bad Thing?

Using it for Personal Use

One problem with BYOD is that your employee is unlikely to be using their device solely for work purposes. This means that, in their downtime, they’re likely to be downloading apps and content, watching films, and performing other activities on their laptop or tablet.

This can pose a serious threat to your business as there is always a chance that when downloading, for example, an eBook, your employee is also downloading a virus which may wreak havoc on business systems.

Security on the Line

In a recent YouGov poll, it was revealed that around 98,324,688 Smartphones are lost or stolen in the UK. Almost 1 in 4 of these smartphone disappearances have happened whilst socialising in bars and restaurants, or on public transport.

Many of us know how annoying it is to lose our mobile phone. However, when the device contains access to business data and information, it becomes more than just a headache and could result in major data breaches costing thousands, and reputation damages.

Minimising the Risk When Employees Leave

It’s a simple fact of life that most of your employees are not going to be with your company forever. This has become a particular talking point during ‘The Great Resignation’.

If your company employs a BYOD policy, then you need to be aware that, when your employee leaves, they are potentially exiting with important or sensitive information about your company.

This can be a significant issue if the employee is leaving the business under less than amicable circumstances. By supplying employees with a device that you can take back after they leave, you minimise the risk of security breaches.

Inadequate Security

When using their own devices, chances are that your employees are used to using minimal security measures to help keep their devices safe. High security can be costly and often not necessary for everyday use.

While average security might be fine for browsing Facebook or watching ‘The Good Place’ on Netflix, it’s not so great news for your business. Inadequate security measures can leave a device-wide open to malware and other cyber nasties. These have the potential to cause considerable harm to your business.

Can BYOD Ever Be Safe?

The important thing here is that a Bring Your Own Device should never be a casual endeavor. During the pandemic, businesses found that they were often reacting to rather than managing situations but, in 2022, those days are gone.

Employers should be putting in place a proper structure for BYOD with strict rules and guidelines, and these should include:

• Security checks: employee devices should be regularly checked for anything which may pose a security risk. Employers should also ensure that employee devices are fitted with appropriate security devices to reduce the risk of exposure.
• Content guidelines: you should have rules in place which determine what kind of content your employees are and are not permitted to download onto any device which is used for work purposes.
• Training: all employees should be trained on-device security, including how to keep their devices safe, and how to spot any potential problems.

These measures will not only help to protect company data and information but will also protect employee privacy. This includes some really important safety-related details such as addresses, dates of birth, financial details, and lots of other information which could leave them at risk of identity theft or GDPR breaches.

Investing in Security is Investing in Your Business Reputation…

Bring Your Own Device can have some great benefits for both the employer and the employee in terms of convenience and cost savings. But, consider the cost a security breach could have for your business.

Employers should see it’s worth potentially providing separate devices for your employees when weighing up the risks. If you allow employees to use personal devices for work, then employers need to perform risk assessments to ensure security isn’t a risk.

As well as harming company systems and risking data falling into the wrong hands, data breaches and leaks can also land the company in hot water with clients. Data breaches often lead to reputation damage and legal action. Because of the reasons listed in this article, a Bring Your Own Device policy is not one which should ever be entered into lightly for the safety of both your business and your staff.

While your employees may initially resent being told what they can and cannot do with their own personal devices, these rules are essential for any business wishing to succeed.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained GDPR professional. Be sure to consult a GDPR professional or the Information Commissioner’s Office if you’re seeking advice about protecting your company from a data breach. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.