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Bring-Your-Own-Device Takes off in the Workplace

Are you able to access your computer network at the office with your personal iPad? What about your personal iPhone or your laptop computer? This movement, known as bring-your-own-device or BYOD, is on the rise in the workplace. It’s a good idea: When companies encourage employees to bring their own devices to work, these same organizations do not have to spend as much on desktop computers and other high-tech equipment. The move also makes sense for workers. Employees may well be more accustomed to their own devices. And if they bring their own laptops and tablets to work, they can more easily carry their files, email messages and important documents back and forth from home to work.

The Risks of BYOD

All of that sounds great but there are some risks in adopting a BYOD work environment that should not be disregarded. A writer for ComputerWorld recently wrote a column talking about this. For one, increasing the amount of devices that are plugged into a network increases the risk of malware attacks. Organizations can install anti-virus software on devices they own, but it is hard to control the safety measures employees are taking using their personal devices.

Company Information at Risk

At the same time, when employees load sensitive workplace data onto their mobile devices, companies face an entirely new set of concerns. What if employees lose their mobile devices? There’s no guarantee that private information won’t fall into the wrong hands. Delaney writes that companies must effectively educate their employees on the way to use their mobile devices as safely as possible. Some companies might choose to ban outside devices from their networks. That’s not entirely reasonable, though. Outside mobile devices help employees do more work more proficiently. Companies don’t want to limit the production of employees by refusing them accessibility to the network with these devices.

The BYOD Trend

BYOD is a trend that isn’t going to fade away. Mobile devices are critical work tools for a growing number of employees. Businesses, then, must make sure to educate these employees on how to properly connect them to the workplace network.


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