The “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy has quickly made its way into different industries and organizations, and for great reasons. This trend allows employees to use their personal devices such as laptops and smartphones to access work-related networks and systems. For progressive small businesses, the advantages of BYOD are clear: cost.
It is cheaper to implement, as a small company won’t have to buy and maintain hardware. It also provides more flexibility as employees can access work-related data whether they’re at home or on vacation. But just like other business policies, BYOD comes with a few drawbacks, such as security concerns and lack of control. To help you prevent these, we’ve compiled the best practices for creating and implementing BYOD in your small business.
Create flexible policies
One thing that business leaders should understand is not everyone will be satisfied with the implemented BYOD policies. For such reason, it’s crucial to design policies for every department and every user. You’d also need to consider your small business’ compliance requirements. As part of the mobility strategy, include different user roles, controls, and privileges on your BYOD policies. A user-centric and flexible approach should primarily facilitate streamlined information access and effective collaboration. Your BYOD should also encompass automated workflows, security requirements’ outline, and protocols regarding segregation of personal and business data.
Use the right IT tools
BYOD isn’t simply about making protocols regarding the use of employees’ personal devices and secure access to business data. It’s also about transforming your small business’ IT in a way that caters to your current and future needs. For instance, you can empower your IT by investing in enterprise mobility management (EMM) so that your admins can better assist with the diverse and changing needs of your workforce. To protect your devices and corporate data, you can add extra layers of security. As to minimize service desk interactions, focus on features such as real-time troubleshooting or automated device enrollment.
Educate your employees
When creating a BYOD policy, security is of top importance. This is where your staff plays a huge role. It’s crucial to include them in every dialogue so that they can understand all the guidelines under your BYOD. Provide continued education on your staff and focus on security protocols and risks that should be avoided. Remember that the first loophole and your first line of defense against cyberattacks are your end-users. Your team should be security-aware and knowledgeable enough to repel most of the attacks. To minimize conflicts or your staff going rogue, you should also build a culture of trust on top of your BYOD.
Lastly, train your employees how to properly separate their personal tasks and business work on the devices. For example, your employee should be using a different mailbox app for a business account instead of mixing it with all their personal accounts in one third-party app.
Prioritize security
As you already know, security is a critical factor in creating and implementing BYOD policies. Since you’ll primarily be using your staff’s personal devices, your security practices should be stronger and stricter. The security of the device is both the responsibility of the company and its employees. To reduce security risks, install a credible antivirus program on every device. You should also consider the operating systems and device platforms that you’ll support. Your BYOD program devices should be regularly patch and go through several security upgrades. Implementing auto device lock and guidelines for the complexity of passwords must also be considered.
Support device maintenance
Supporting regular maintenance needs of your BYOD program devices is also vital for ensuring the productivity and efficiency of your workforce. You already managed to cut the huge expense of buying the devices, and it only makes sense to put in a little effort and money into their maintenance. IT departments generally handle this responsibility. But if you’re a small business without an in-house IT team, find a company that specializes in mobile device repairs.
The cost of paying for repairs is more manageable compared to replacing the devices. Maintenance is an essential step to preventing malware or viruses from infecting your hardware or even accessing critical business information. It keeps your corporate data safe and reduces communication delays.
The BYOD policy does offer great perks and opportunities for a growing small business. But to take advantage of that, you should first ensure that the policy and the guidelines are implemented up to the company’s standards. Remember to follow our tips here for an effective BYOD implementation.
Meta title: How Small Businesses Can Implement Effective BYOD Policies
meta desc: If done right, a BYOD policy can help a small business cut costs and boost workforce productivity. Know more in this article about BYOD and how to implement it effectively.
