Four BYOD policy no-nos

12 years ago

These days it’s getting harder for some companies to justify not opening up the corporate network to worker-owned devices.

Whether you’re contemplating or already have a bring-your-own-device policy in the workplace, it might be useful to take note of these four BYOD missteps that are certain to compound your IT department’s headaches or even waylay a well-intended BYOD plan:

1. Limiting device choice – Some companies restrict mobile device choices to specific models in order to reduce BYOD’s impact on IT resources and to simplify arrangements with providers. However, limiting choice to a specific device or model can frustrate users and saddle IT with the need to constantly update its policy as new devices are released, said Scott Lowe, technology consultant and owner of The 1610 Group. Instead, he recommends organizations categorize and approve a broad range of devices appropriate to the business’s needs.

2. Giving up the right to wipe devices – The security of an organization’s information and assets should remain a primary concern in BYOD policies. By including in the policy the company’s right to wipe clean a device enrolled in the BYOD program, the organization can protect sensitive corporate information, privacy of clients and individuals and the corporate network as well. Lowe feels BYOD is generally an opt-program and employees who do not wish to subject their devices to erasure, they can either get a company device or not join the program.

3. Allowing employees to opt-out of critical upgrades – Equipment upgrades undertaken by companies are done for a reason. This should cover devices on BYOD programs as well. Employees on BYOD programs should make sure the contracts they have on their devices are flexible enough to allow corporate upgrades.

4. Allowing opt-out of corporate data management policies – Ensure that you BYOD policy has clear provisions regarding data accessibility and integrity. This will help prevent users from bypassing corporate systems and taking company data to a public cloud storage service such as Dropbox.

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