Creating the appropriate policy for your business requires you to balance information security risks with employment law issues. BYOD is meant to allow more flexibility within an organization. It is not clear at the time of the writing of this post how this will change the BYOD landscape things will change in the long run. However, in a litigious society like ours, you need to make sure that everyone knows what you are responsible for and what youre not responsible for. Join thousands of cybersecurity professionals to receive the latest news and updates from the world of information security. You need to ensure that your company is meeting fair labor requirements by tracking employee time for those protected by these laws, whether they are in the office or pulling in long hours from home or on travel. Jailbroken or rooted mobile devices are usually slow, difficult, or outright impossible to patch, and while these tweaks can give users greater functionality and customizability, it might also compromise its securityThwarting targeted attacks: For mobile devices, organizations can use mobile device management (MDM) software that can block malicious applications and programs before they can be installed. Employee backing up their data in case the IT department needs to do a remote wipe of the device. A bring your own device (BYOD) policy affords companies and employees greater flexibility, but that flexibility can put important business data at risk. They can also cause unintentional compatibility issues in the network. Here are some guidelines to help organizations with their BYOD implementation. A tablet? Both unsecured networks and Bluetooth discoverability leave devices vulnerable to hackers trying to gain access to mobile devices. Organizations can also nip any problems arising from malicious mobile applications in the bud by using network solutions that can preemptively detect malware via network activity. Many states have privacy laws protecting employee social media use, even if they do it on a company-owned device. Did you see a cell phone? For other BYOD devices such as desktops and laptops, organizations should look into endpoint security solutions that can provide comprehensive features such as behavior monitoring, vulnerability and browser exploit protection, web reputation, and anti-malware features. Dont miss the rest of the articles in our Cybersecurity Trends in 2020 series: As we look ahead to a new decade, 2020 will continue to bring significant changes to how we interact with digital spaces at work and at home. BYOD and remote work as a whole complicate the agency network infrastructure, increasing the risk of a breach. Even if the employee recovers the device, information on there could have been compromised. Be smart about these personal end points with clear policies to protect your company data & assets. These controls cannot prevent all unauthorized access; however, can prevent a percentage of unwanted traffic. It also might be more difficult for the device to be detected on the network. They may uninstall it unintentionally as well. Older devices, for example, may not have the most updated operating systems and thus open you to a security risk. In July of 2020, it was reported that over 300 devices were lost or stolen from the Central Government in the UK. Access and exclusive discounts on our partners. In addition to MDM software, some companies deploy Network Access Controls (NAC) such as firewalls, authentication/authorization technology, access control lists, and network policies (such as NPS on Windows Server). MDM software and network policies can help prevent non-compliant, jailbroken, or out-of-date devices from joining the network. Requiring a strong password for the device if it accesses the networkDefinition of a strong password.". Items of this size are easily stolen or lost. This has also increased the number of BYOD devices in many organizations. A 2015 study by Trend Micro noted that 46.5% of enterprises that allowed their employees to access their network via BYOD devices experienced some form of data breach, with device theft and loss being a major cause of data breaches. Legitimate applications, such as The Weather Channel Application, can leak personal and private data. For all of these threats, there's one common issue that rings out: A lack of employee security awareness. Paste the code into your page (Ctrl+V). Assessments and grants of trust must happen in a granular fashion. Employee requirement to notify their carrier about a lost or stolen device. Former employees present both a technical and personal risk. Device loss or theftA large number of BYOD devices are used to store, access, and process confidential company information. Telework is here to stay. Start The "End User Mobile Security" Course Now >>. What the BYOD In the past, hackers spent most of their time on the mobile infrastructure. Like it? This means that important information stored on these devices can invariably be accessed with just a little tinkering. While the direct business impact of mobile malware is low, we can expect an increase in the number of data breaches related to mobile device use and misuse. Users who download through third party app stores and torrent repository websites often fail to check the authenticity of the apps they download, failing to realize that a large number of these applications are actually malicious in nature. You want to protect your data, but you also need to be aware of employee rights. solutions that integrate tools such as integrated data loss prevention, application control, and web filtering. As such, a comprehensive BYOD strategy is needed to ensure that the program is not only successful, but also secure. Cybersecurity writer focused on compliance and end-user awareness. Use that directly or indirectly supports business. Flexible pricing that scales with your business. Further, the collection of risk point solutions running across federal networks has only added to the problem at hand. Many threats from hardware issues, to user issues, to management issues, exist in the BYOD environment. Many companies do include it as part of their overall security strategy. However, BYOD security is possible with the right tools to assess security and detect compromise. using a Virtualized Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) system, IoT Devices in the Workplace: Security Risks and Threats to BYOD Environments, Trend Micro Security Predictions for 2019: Mapping the Future, InfoSec Guide: Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), National Cyber Security Awareness Month: The Enterprises Safety Online Is Everyones Business, InfoSec Guide: Taking Down Fraudulent Domains (Part 2), Cybercriminals Gamble With Victims' Livelihoods To Pass the Covid-19 Blues, The Basics of Keeping Kubernetes Cluster Secure: Worker Nodes and Related Components, CSO Insights: DataBanks Mark Houpt on Looking Beyond Securing Infrastructures in the New Normal, Safe and Smart Connections: Securing IoT Networks for Remote Setups, Inside the Bulletproof Hosting Business: Cybercriminal Methods and OpSec, Securing Enterprise Security: How to Manage the New Generation of Access Control Devices, The Cybersecurity Blind Spots of Connected Cars, The Basics of Keeping Kubernetes Clusters Secure, Malicious Docker Hub Container Images Used for Cryptocurrency Mining, Review, Refocus, and Recalibrate: The 2019 Mobile Threat Landscape, Mobile Banking Trojan FakeToken Resurfaces, Sends Offensive Messages Overseas from Victims Accounts, Mirai Variant Spotted Using Multiple Exploits, Targets Various Routers, A Look Into the Most Noteworthy Home Network Security Threats of 2017, Infosec Guide: Dealing with Threats to a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Environment. Corporate network settings should also be distributed to employees upon the successful enrollment of their devices to ensure consistency. BYOD requires careful planning that includes MDM and user policies (including training). Organizations should also require any user who stores company information on their devices to enable multifactor authentication to ensure that any data stored in an employees device is not accessed easily. Scan your desk, drawers, and work bag quickly. Most Dangerous Cyber Security Threats of 2017! Restrict highly sensitive information to organizational devices only. If you require employees to work from home or require certain devices, you also need to let them know how much financial support youre going to offer them. the employees personal devices are exposed to more threats in the wild, such as unprotected Wi-Fi networks and public computers What needs to be acknowledged is that BYOD is no more a buzzword or a trend in the IT environment, it is a reality that affects multiple industries. Having real-time data helps agency IT teams make a better, more informed decision on whether or not to allow access to certain data. Add this infographic to your site:1. Employees should only have access to the information they need. BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, is a program by which employees can use their own devices for work purposes. With our employee training modules, you can supplement your BYOD policy by empowering your employees with up-to-date information covering mobile device security and public WiFi threats. Bring your own device (BYOD) describes the practice of using a personal device such as a smartphone or tablet to conduct business on an organizations network or with its data. To protect your information as well as your organization, you need to maintain a policy detailing employee device use and ensure employees understand their responsibilities. This guide will tackle the primary threats organizations face when implementing BYOD programs, as well as best practices and solutions to mitigate these threats. While these software suites do not encompass ALL devices, it makes it easier to identify and manage devices connected to the enterprise network. These attacks place any information on the devices at risk, even information that you dont know is there. Specialized security software that fits your companys needs exists, although finding the right solution can be arduous. Tom Tovar, CEO at Appdome says, Mobile hackers have discovered that 85 percent of mobile apps have little to no protection, which allows the criminals to continuously harvest data, connections, resources, and infrastructure from mobile consumers and mobile businesses by targeting these unprotected mobile apps. Amplification of insider threats from both malicious and negligent BYOD users A list of websites and application that are blocked during work hours or while connected to company networks. Moreover, many employees store passwords on their phones either through password management applications, automatically through their settings, or in notes applications. With BYOD, this management becomes much more difficult. byod Subscribe to BYOD Protect yourself online ACSC's Stay Smart Online program Be alerted of new threats Alert Service Report a cybercrime or cyber security incident However, remote access also creates an issue regarding hours worked. It may not be possible for companies to enforce hard rules requiring employees to use specific devices or operating system versions, but they can provide a list of supported devices and operating systems that is reasonable for both the organization and their employees. Start The "Intermediate Endpoint Security" Course Now >>, How Personal Devices (BYOD) Change The Threat Model For Organizations. Organizations aren't moving quickly enough on threats linked to using personal mobile devices in the workplace. As federal IT leaders work to accommodate the remote workforce and the resulting added complexity, they are often turning to a zero-trust approach. In this model, the organization has much more control over the device. Out-of-date devices present a threat to the network in that they often have unpatched vulnerabilities that can be taken advantage of. When evaluating access, systems typically rely on data that shows how the user is accessing the network. 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