The ultimate guide to BYOPC and BYOD: What they are and how they impact the modern workplace

BYOD and BYOPC defined

Bring your own device (BYOD) means that employees use personal items like mobile phones and tablets to access their employer’s network and files to do their jobs. Bring your own personal computer (BYOPC) means that employees use their own desktop computer or laptop to do their jobs. While the terms are slightly different, both BYOD and BYOPC enable employees to access corporate applications, services, and data from the device of their choice.

Organizations should consider a BYOD or BYOPC strategy to accommodate various business and work scenarios. For example:

Developers, hybrid and remote workers,and employeesadded through an acquisition ormerger who transition fromthe office to remote work locationsand need secure, continuous access tocompany resources.
Temporary and seasonal employeeswho need access toapplications and cloud services.
Students, interns, and trainees whoneed access to companyresources for a short period of time.

The less control an organization has over devices and data, the greater risk there is of security breaches and data loss. A lack of oversight can result in costly, long-term consequences. To accommodate various scenarios, organizations should implement a bring your own device policy that mitigates security risks, addresses endpoint security, and clearly states the responsibilities of employers and employees. For example, employees should understand what applications and assets they’re allowed to access, adhere to required security mechanisms like device authentication, and know what actions their employer will take if a device is lost or stolen.

When establishing a BYOD or BYOPC policy, organizations should:

Decide what apps can or cannot be downloaded.
Mandate strict security like strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
Clarify who owns apps and data (especially important if wiping a device is necessary).
Specify what devices the organization will or won’t support and what kind of support IT will provide.
Have a plan to remove access and information when an employee leaves the organization.
Update BYOPC policies as needed.

A comprehensive BYOPC policy might go into more detail about helping to protect the organization’s sensitive data, legal obligations of the employer and employees, and permitted and prohibited uses for devices and software.

Benefits and challenges of BYOPC

The benefits and challenges of implementing a BYOPC policy may vary with the size of the organization and even by industry, especially when regulatory requirements are involved. It requires a balance of having the right tools for the job and mitigating security risks related to the variety of devices in use.

Advantages of a BYOPC policy for employers and employees include:

Cost savings: Implementing security and management solutions help organizations oversee company-owned and employee-owned devices without increasing their spend on third-party solutions.
Data protection: Endpoint management and security solutions help to protect data by simplifying endpoint management, improving security, and reducing opportunities for cyberattacks.
Productivity on any device: Employees tend to be the most productive when they’re comfortable with the technology that’s required to do their jobs, whether it’s on Windows, iOS, or Android systems.

Cost savings and increased productivity may be worth the effort of implementing a BYOPC policy, but there are challenges to address. For example:

Security: Devices with little or no oversight are more likely to introduce security vulnerabilities into an organization’s network. The next section addresses security issues and measures that organizations should put in place to help protect sensitive information.
Compatibility: Operating systems and different software versions may cause compatibility issues when accessing or sharing files. Organizations should consider adding specifics to their BYOPC policies—like acceptable software and device brands and models—to mitigate these problems.
Support: IT staff may not have the bandwidth to support the variety of employee-owned devices and issues. There should be clear guidelines for employees about the use and troubleshooting of their own devices for work purposes.
Liability: Organizations should establish clear policies and agreements with employees on how to handle things like data ownership, intellectual property rights, and privacy during incidents, disputes, and termination of employment.

Security considerations for BYOPC

There’s much more to BYOPC than simply allowing employees to use their personal mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and laptops for work. A comprehensive BYOPC policy should be in place and include BYOPC security—and enforcement—to help make this program beneficial for the organization and its employees. It’s important to get the perspective of IT and security teams, executives, finance, legal, and human resources when developing this policy. Employee input is also useful for determining what brands and models of devices they use, identifying the software applications they need to do their jobs, and defining their expectations for IT support.

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Common threats to an organization’s data include:

Malware: Trojans, spyware, worms, viruses, and adware disguise themselves as a trusted email attachment or program but allows unauthorized users into a computer network. Employees who use their own devices for work should have antivirus software installed and keep it up to date to help defend against malware.
Unauthorized access: Individuals without network permissions might gain access to an organization’s data, applications, and endpoints by taking advantage of security vulnerabilities and weak passwords and launching phishing attacks. Employees should avoid connecting to unsecure networks in public places unless they’re using a virtual private network (VPN) to access company data.
Data breach: Unusual or suspicious behavior often indicates that sensitive data is being exposed to sources outside of the organization. Since most data breaches are caused by insiders—intentionally or unintentionally—employers should be aware of how employees use company data.

BYOPC solutions and best practices for mitigating threats to data include:

Storing apps, files, and data on the cloud, not on employees’ devices. A zero trust security model supports the hybrid workplace to help protect devices, apps, and data in any location.
Encrypting data that’s at rest or in transit. Encryption helps to maintain the security, confidentiality, and integrity of data even if unauthorized users gain access to it.
Helping secure access to organizational resources with identity and access management (IAM). Authenticating and authorizing employees helps organizations grant the proper level of access to authorized users.
Safeguarding data if an employee’s device is lost or stolen. Remote wipe erases data on a device to prevent the data from being compromised. Only company-owned data might be wiped or the device may be returned to factory settings, depending on what the BYOPC policy stipulates.
Keeping track of company-owned and employee-owned devices using mobile device management (MDM) software. Among its many features, MDM limits the types of apps that are used on a device, pushes software updates to devices, enables remote support and troubleshooting, tracks locations, and enables remote wipe.
Monitoring the security landscape. Identify new threats and have a plan in place to respond quickly.

BYOPC tips

Employers should conduct a BYOPC risk assessment and identify feasible solutions to minimize those risks. Employees need to consider BYOPC risks that could affect their own privacy if they agree to use personal devices at work.

Tips for employers

Having a BYOPC policy in place is imperative for any organization that allows employees to use their personal devices for work. When implementing a BYOPC program:

Clarify what kind of access is granted for various job functions.
Consider employee expectations, educate them on the policy, and ask for feedback.
Remind employees that personal devices they use for work should not be used for other purposes like games or videos for the kids.
Provide the tools that employees need to adhere to the BYOPC policy; for example, antivirus software, MDM software, and VPN access.

Tips for employees

Employees considering participation in a BYOPC program need to be proactive in protecting their privacy. For example, they should:

Read the BYOPC policy thoroughly and carefully and ask for clarification when necessary.
Weigh the convenience of one device for work and personal use against the risk of exposing their private information.
Enable privacy and security settings on devices, including password protection and two-factor authentication.
Back up personal data on a regular basis, especially if the BYOPC policy requires a remote wipe for lost or stolen devices.

Maximize your IT investments with a BYOPC solution

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Business Insights and Ideas does not constitute professional tax or financial advice. You should contact your own tax or financial professional to discuss your situation.