BYOD - or "Bring Your Own Device" refers to the practice of using one's own personally owned devices to complete work through access to privileged company information and applications. The phenomenon is a result of personal computing devices (mobile phones and tablets) becoming a near necessity for modern business life - basically, why would a company pay to provide their employees with an identical version of a device they already own?
The main concern around BYOD is the vulnerability of data when a personal and imminently portable device is used to access and distribute sensitive information.
The following five recommendations (from Ntiva.com) should be pretty familiar but will make a huge difference in keeping the important data living on your devices safe, secure, and private.
- Turn on User Authentication:
This is straightforward: make sure authentication is enabled in every place where it is an option. Biometrics like face and fingerprint scans have made this easy and fast, so turn it on! - Keep Your Device Updated:
Regular software updates very often address known vulnerabilities and patch any potential holes in the software. If the developers have deemed it important enough to update, you’ll definitely want to make sure you have that installed. - Avoid Public Wifi:
Accessing unencrypted public wifi is basically opening a door into your system and information. Don't do it. - Use a Password Manager:
A reputable password manager (one that includes encryption and two-factor authentication) will save you time, streamline your user authentication process, and makes choosing long and strong passwords easier to keep track of. Anything that can be password controlled really ought to be, and a password manager will make that easier. - Enable Remote Lock and Data Wipe:
If your device is ever lost, stolen, or broken, the ability to remove data safely and remotely is important. These features are standard in nearly all mobile operating systems and are an important security feature to enable.
BYOD security isn't all that different from the security practices we would recommend for any platform. The biggest factor is remembering to enable and apply them!