The mobile revolution has brought about the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. This has allowed people to use their mobile phones and tablets to connect to services like online meeting networks with ease. Unfortunately, this can severely undermine the privacy of the digital network unless precautions are taken to make the system more secure. An important question that needs to be pointed out is this: how can companies such as Blue Jeans make their online conference call for IT more secure?
BYOD Policy
As more companies allow remote work options by providing flexible office hours, employees are encouraged to use their personal devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets, both in and out of the office. This switch is to make them feel more comfortable using the new tools that can increase their productivity and efficiency. Today, 74 percent of organizations have implemented the BYOD policy or plan to allow it in near future. According to ZD NET, BYOD brings with it plenty of issues, making it one of the most important issues for the IT department to tackle.
This technology has a lot of benefits for companies with remote staff, suppliers, contractors, global clients, and multiple offices. It considerably cuts down travel costs, meaning that companies can save a lot of time and money. However, you should not compromise sensitive information despite its advantages. As people may discuss sensitive information via online discussions, the conferencing network has to be highly secured.
Benefits and Pitfalls of BYOD
A primary advantage of BYOD is that it allows staff to use their personal gadgets, meaning they’ll be using equipment that they have more experience working with in first place. You don’t have to spend time training employees to use some of the company’s specific procedures, which may even function on an entirely different operating system. It will also let them continue the tasks that they left behind at the office and continue it in the comfort of their own homes or while they are traveling.
The benefits are compelling, that is, if we can tackle the issue of security. BYOD tools pose problems where the device may not be optimized in order to protect it from viruses and malware. BGR Tech reports there are more than 16 million infected Android phones and tablets in the year 2014 alone. They expose other tools within the company to said viruses and malware, which can be threatening for crucial financial data. Infected tools may also lead to additional vulnerabilities on the network. Out-of-date software and operating systems pose problems that could compromise the your company’s safety and privacy.
The Best Way to Implement Security
This policy brings significant value to the company, but proper practices must be followed so that you don’t compromise the safety aspect of it all. Keeping the data safe is a priority and data encryption could be the best place to start. If you are using cloud-based tools, then look for active measures that can provide an additional layer of safety to your calls, such as:
- Prohibiting the use of jailbroken devices;
- Compulsory passcode protection;
- Maintaining updated apps and operating systems; and
- Use of primary anti-theft measures installed in the system.
These measures along with proper mobile application management can handle problems efficiently. You should create a list of trusted applications that can be used on your network and check to see if employees are strictly adhering to these new protocols.
Making It a Business Culture
An important aspect of this policy is integrating the security measures into your enterprise’s culture. If security is an integral part of the company culture, then online security becomes easier. A company should check if they have a written agreement between the employee and the company to establish expectations so that employee knows his obligations for safety and keeps private conversations secure and confidential.
No doubt this policy brings with it certain concerns but with proper precautions and measures put into place, secure web meetings are possible, with mobile gadgets making the entire experience of talking to other people over the internet more enjoyable and flexible. We should not sacrifice the advantages of this technology due to the issues posed by mobile devices. We can find solutions and not get stuck in a rut, thereby losing out on some key benefits.
Every technology has its share of advantages and disadvantages. We should take steps to minimize the hurdles and maximize the benefits. If there is a comprehensive privacy policy that is built into the business culture, providing security to web chatting despite using BYOD policies will not be a problem. It will only make the video conferencing system more appealing and flexible. Employees and customers should not have to resort to using other platforms due to faulty safety barriers. Obstructing these people would undermine the benefits of this technology thus leading to productivity loss for the company.
