(BYOD: Bring Your Own Device)
Many IT departments have become relatively quiet lately. The days when „Can you please fix my PC?“ and „My laptop can’t boot up“ were shouted through the aisles are officially over. Due to the „Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)“ guidelines employees in general and at eves_ are more willing to solve their own IT problems themselves. They also adapt their telephones and laptops to their personal preferences. This also pays off for companies, because they not only save the costs for purchasing the equipment, but also for maintenance contracts. There is also something practical for the employees, they can work from anywhere in the world on the device of their choice.
In contrast, BYOD is a constant point of conflict for IT managers. To make this freedom possible, they manage an average of around 30 apps per user on devices with software versions, some of which they have never heard of before. They also bear the risk of unknown devices gaining access to the corporate network.
Here we get the idea whether it wouldn’t be better to return to the old company standard „Take it or leave it“.
But the question that we should primarily ask ourselves is: „Is there a way to get everything together?
Advantages of BYOD:
- Reducing operating costs
- Fewer Helpdesk Calls
- Independent further training of each individual with the technology
- Better devices than possibly the corporate standard
- More satisfied and productive employees
- Always immediate reach and thus improved flexibility
„According to Forrester Research, employees choose their own smartphone in 70% of cases“
Disadvantages of BYOD:
- Difficult control and protection through different device brands, operating systems and applications on different laptops, tablets and smartphones
- The use of insecure Internet access increases the risk of introducing malware into the company.
- Increasing costs of many different software versions
Now what? Do we better go back to „Take it or leave it“ or is the way of „BYOD“ the better one?
We all know that the will of IT managers is the law, especially today, as companies are becoming more vulnerable to cybercrime due to digitalization and rely on experienced IT experts.
So the strategy „Take it or leave it“ is off the table. BYOD concepts offer far too many advantages to take a step back. And of course, or rather luckily, there is a possibility to guarantee security in the company and to satisfy the employee. The answer lies in the security solution. This provides authentication for each individual user and each individual device before the system can even set foot in the corporate network.
Authentication can be performed using a Network Access Control (NAC) solution. NAC solutions not only authenticate users, they also authorize them to access only the corporate networks that matter to them. This automatically solves the problem that employees walk with their phones and laptops through the company’s corridors and logging into networks where they are not supposed to be.
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