Even at companies with BYOD (bring-your-own-device) policies, users may still be reluctant to officially register their tablets and smartphones with IT, instead preferring to covertly access the network. That’s according to a new study that shows employees are concerned about losing their personal data if they officially register their devices with the IT organization at their company. To ensure compliance with policies, managed services providers (MSPs) may need to win over small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) employees with promises to protect personal data.
Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN) conducted the survey of more than 3,000 employees around the world. American respondents, specifically, fear the loss of personal data more than other regions of the world, the study revealed. Around 66 percent of American respondents claimed that they fear the loss of data, compared to the 45 percent of Europeans and 40 of Middle Easterners who felt the same.
More than 50 percent of Americans said their IT department takes no steps to ensure the security of corporate files and applications on their personal devices, a concern that has forced many employees to keep personal devices away from IT departments. Seventeen percent of Americans have not told their employers that they use a personal device for work. If you think that’s frightening, keep reading.
Eleven percent of American respondents said they would not report a compromised device, while 36 percent said they would not report leaked data immediately.
According to the survey, these numbers come from a distrust of IT departments and employee fear about what IT may do with personal data. Forty-five percent of respondents in the United States worry about their IT department’s access to personal data.
Should MSPs include policies and guarantees to customers’ employees on personal data?
There need to be incentives from the company to persuade employees to follow BYOD policy. Furthermore, there must be a culture of transparency and trust from IT to help calm the fears workers have.
Our Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions allow our technicians and engineers the ability to monitor and manage the mobile device but they do not have access to personal items such as text messages or pictures. If there is ever a question of what we can or can not do, we give the client a complete tour of our MDM platform.
The importance of a highly secure IT environment coupled with the lack of adherence of workers to BYOD policies gives rise to major concerns. Companies of all sizes need to rethink their policies and procedures regarding BYOD. Also, ensure the MSP or IT provider is trustworthy and operates in complete transparency. The goal is to protect your company, your IT environment, your customers and your employees.
Companies, especially small businesses, that ignore BYOD are playing Russian roulette. Everyday workers are using secure business networks to do things on their mobile devices which are highly unsecured and dangerous to the IT environment. For some verticals, such as healthcare, these oversights can led to a breach and bring disastrous implications.
Want to have a discussion about protecting your business and your employees? Give us a call find out how we can help.