Twenty years ago, no one would have imagined employees bringing their computers to work. In fact, twenty years ago, having a company-owned PC on an employee’s desk was considered a status symbol in some companies.

Today, the average person’s cell phone has more technology inside that NASA used to land our astronauts on the moon. What is more, 98% of mobile device users keep their devices within reach 100% of the time – from the bathroom to the boardroom. That’s a lot of technology in the hands of people who are not rocket scientists.

BYOD Makes a Strong Case for Whitelisting

While, on the one hand, employees and companies alike embrace the concept of Bring Your Own Device, it is not without its inherent dangers.

When people bring their own device, any amount a company saves in CapEx for computer hardware, as a result, may potentially be lost by a failure to manage those devices in the workplace.

Advice from INFOSEC

As far back as 2012, the INFOSEC Institute warned businesses about the rising tide of changes that a BYOD culture would generate related to guarding the businesses’ technology. Among their recommendations was:

• Know who can access your company network and data remotely.
• Know how your employees’ devices are configured.
• Clearly communicate your BYOD policies.
• Audit BYOD activities on a regular basis.
• Ensure that employee devices are compliant with your IT security policies and government regulations.
• Control the apps.

Control the Apps

Managing the apps is where whitelisting comes into play. Several of our recent blog posts have addressed the wisdom of whitelisting, including the most recent, “From Whitelisting to Dynamic Whitelisting,” so we do not need to cover that ground again. However, we want to raise your awareness of the efficacy of implementing whitelisting if your business allows a BYOD practice.

We recommend whitelisting to protect both your system, if accessible by employee devices, and to protect their devices as well. You know what they say, “One bad app can spoil the whole bunch.”

Tech Sentries is as concerned about your computer system security as you are. Your computer system security is our business. That’s why Tech Sentries is always on duty. Contact us today to learn how we can help you “GUARD YOUR TECHNOLOGY” (843-282-2222).