The Risk and Reward of BYOD in the Enterprise

In a September 2013 White Paper titled “Leveraging BYOD,” Vijay Saradhi of ManageEngine details the pros and cons of BYOD.  With the emergence of laptops and other mobile devices BYOD has become more common in the workplace.  As a result, enterprise mobility is transforming the way companies operate.  In 2013, over 1.2 billion mobile devices are expected to be sold worldwide according to research conducted by Gartner.

Saradhi contends that with a heightened level of technological awareness among employees, IT teams will have to understand the potential benefits and risks of BYOD.  In his report, Saradhi lists four BYOD risks and four BYOD driving forces for employees and organizations to be aware of.

BYOD Risks

1. Device audit:  Organization IT departments will constantly have to monitor devices that enter and exit company networks.

2. Risk of virus/malware: Employees who use commercial apps and public hot spots are putting corporate data at risk for security threats.  Cafés, hospitals, movie theaters, and sporting arenas are hot spot locations that are vulnerable to security breaches.

3. Adherence to security policies: Since company data is stored on mobile devices, organizations should closely monitor devices that employees carry.  IT teams should combine BYOD with MDM features that can deter outside threats.

4. Issue of ownership: This is a complicated situation since devices are employee-owned and data is company-owned.    

BYOD Benefits

1. Higher/Increased productivity: With mobile devices the capability and resources of employees can be tapped at anytime or at any location.

2. Cost saving: BYOD reduces organizational expenses by allowing work to be managed from an employee-owned device.

3. Work flexibility: With increased schedule flexibility, employees have a better appreciation for work and life balance.

4. Employee satisfaction: BYOD encourages an innovative work environment for both the employer and employee.

Although BYOD presents threats to data integrity and data availability, there are significant benefits to BYOD.  “Despite the challenges that BYOD presents, it holds the key to the future because more and more employees rely on their smartphones and tablets for their personal and official work,” concludes Saradhi.

Click here to access the full what Paper from Vijay Saradhi of ManageEngine