There are ways to address the problems associated with the BYOD trend
Whether it’s identity theft, stolen passwords or hacked servers, there are regularly news items relating to the exposure of information that’s stored in the virtual world, so protecting such data is vital for consumers and businesses alike.
Yet while there’s a focus on the need for security measures, it’s not always immediately clear how to address certain factors, and finding new ways to deal with evolving threats isn’t easy.
However, one expert believes that any businesses with fears relating to the vulnerabilities associated with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend can address the issue with technical solutions designed to enhance the data protection qualities of people’s personal gadgets.
"There are clearly security threats associated with allowing employees to connect their own devices to your company networks and the cloud, but there are technical solutions out there to protect against them," said Neil Lathwood, technical director at UKFast.co.uk.
"Having a solution that recognises the first time a user connects to the network, redirecting them to install the relevant security protocols and VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) apps would cut the risk significantly."
Indeed, despite the cost-saving benefits of allowing workers to bring their own devices, security on such platforms has to be considered just as seriously as it is on office computers.
What’s more, the destruction of any company related information when the gadgets are either sold or passed on also has to be guaranteed – especially given the recent concerns over an iPhone app that is said to store a user’s login details.
According to reports, a dating app used on the smartphone logs members in depending on their phone’s unique ID, and continues doing this if second hand users install the same program – a process that exposes the original owner’s details.
Given this glitch in security, further concerns over the safety of information stored and used on people’s personal devices have been raised, and could be another aspect for businesses allowing BYOD to consider.