In the new hybrid-working world, many businesses now allow employees to work using their personal devices. This is called “bring your own device” (BYOD), and it offers flexibility for those working from home or traveling. We’ve written about how to write your own BYOD policy, but what are some solutions you can employ, and how can you succeed with them? We’re going to explore the different aspects of BYOD security solutions, as well as the best practices and potential risks associated with BYOD security.
What are BYOD security solutions?
A BYOD policy helps protect your business data and network when you allow team members to use their personal devices. It sets clear guidelines for how your team can use their own devices, ensuring that everything from network security to password management is considered.
Ultimately, security risks are always created when a team member works on a personal device. If someone opens a phishing email and their device becomes compromised, the attacker may then be able to access your business network. Under your BYOD policy, there’s a wide range of approaches and tools for your business to consider. Good tools can prevent unsanctioned apps or services (known as shadow IT) from creeping into your network and help employees work more efficiently and productively.
We’ll focus on the most popular types of BYOD security solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Password managers
Your business network has many entry points, all created by your team members logging into business accounts and apps. Every entry point needs protection, in the form of a secure password or passwordless login.
When team members work from their own devices, there’s a risk that personal and business apps and data may be mixed and create security and regulatory risks. With a proper BYOD policy in place, your organization can create designated spaces solely for business use. A business password manager that’s secure, available on all platforms and devices, and enables sharing is essential when team members use their personal devices.
With the right business password manager, you can create, store, autofill, and even share passwords securely without blurring the boundaries between personal and business data. By creating safe storage for business data like credit cards and files that’s accessible cross-platform and cross-device, you make it easier for team members to remain compliant with your BYOD policy. Passwordless login also benefits both your network security and the ease-of-use for your business tools: for example single sign-on (SSO) makes it possible for team members to log into all of their accounts securely using a single set of credentials.
Essential features
- Secure passwordless login alternatives such as two-factor authentication (2FA), passkeys, and SSO.
- Safe sharing for passwords and vaults
- Data breach monitoring
- Activity logs and reporting
- Customizable policies
Email client
Email remains one of our most important ways of communicating with coworkers, stakeholders, external agencies, and clients. Your business email environment needs to be secure, and when it comes to employee devices, it needs to be contained away from personal apps and data.
Not all email providers are created equal. A secure service should protect the sensitive emails sent throughout your business with end-to-end encryption and protect your team members from risky phishing emails. Your team members are your business’s strongest defense against data breaches, so you need to arm them with an easy-to-use, secure email app that’s just for work. Creating a firm boundary between personal and business data on employee devices isn’t difficult with the right business email solution.
Essential features
- End-to-end encryption
- Spam and phishing protection
- Anti-spoofing for custom domains
- Identity and access management for admins
- Secure integrated calendar and storage
VPN
A VPN can help your business protect sensitive data and comply with data regulations. It encrypts your team members’ connection to the internet or your business network, letting them work remotely or from their personal devices and remain secure.
A business VPN solution protects your business data from hackers and enables team members to securely access data from any device or location. When it comes to creating your BYOD policy, a VPN makes life easier for your IT admins by allowing them to block unauthorized devices from accessing your network and assign or segment employee permissions. There’s no need for a VPN to make work more complicated for your employees if you can deploy SSO for a seamless login experience that doesn’t compromise on security.
Essential features
- Dedicated servers and IP addresses
- Restricted logins for authorized devices
- Encrypted network traffic
- Malware blocking
- Security controls, including both SSO and the open standard that allows for user provisioning, SCIM
Your business’s BYOD best practices
Beyond finding the right security tools and creating your BYOD policy, your business needs to create a set of best practices for team members. Protecting your business data requires both education and usage guidelines in order to help every team member stay compliant with your policy.
Education about cybersecurity
Data security is everyone’s job, no matter their role or seniority. Regular education and support about cybersecurity empowers every team member to use their business tools securely and protect their personal devices.
Keep personal and business data separate
One of the most crucial aspects of making BYOD work is keeping personal apps and business apps entirely separate. If data bleeds between personal and business accounts, employees risk not following your cybersecurity policies and creating opportunities for data breaches. Make sure that keeping business and personal data separate is part of your cybersecurity education and also your BYOD policy.
Secure every account
Every business account must have a unique, strong password. You should also require two-factor authentication or SSO where possible to strengthen account security. Ideally, a password manager will help team members create and store passwords and make utilizing additional login measures easy.
Use a zero-trust approach
Zero trust is a framework in which no one is automatically granted access to your business network. Employees must always verify their identity before any business data can be accessed, preventing unauthorized access. Security is never assumed and is actively enforced by examining access to every business resource.
Assign roles
Every team member should only be able to access data and apps relevant to their role. Access permissions must be tailored according to role, seniority, and business need. SCIM can simplify managing access controls for admins.
Perform regular compliance audits
IT admins should perform regular security audits to ensure that team members are complying with your BYOD policy, as well as checking for any unauthorized access attempts from unrecognized devices. Your BYOD policy should also be regularly reviewed to ensure that it’s meeting your business requirements.
BYOD alone isn’t enough — here’s why
Realistically, the greatest risk to your business’s security is human error. Whether it’s falling for a phishing scam or creating a weak password that can be guessed with an dictionary attack, users are the greatest vulnerability when it comes to working online.
That’s why your investment in educating every team member is just as important as choosing the right tools. Even the most robust business network can be penetrated when human error leads to a data breach. As well as building a BYOD policy with security-first tools that anyone can use, your business must focus on educating team members about just how easy it is to auto-generate secure passwords and use 2FA to protect their accounts. Empowering people with tools and education makes security everyone’s job, and gives them the confidence to do it effectively.
