Category Archives: BYOD

BYOD, Internet

What is the “Internet of Things” or IoT?

If you are tech savvy or just try to stay up with the constant changes within the technology world, chances are you have stumbled upon many acronyms. One of the newest to emerge that has many people asking Google for help is the IoT. The Internet Of Things.

For titles, it’s the most ambiguous and non-descriptive you can get. “Things” is the word you substitute when your brain stalls and can’t come up with anything more professional or eloquent. So why is this weak word the main substance of the title? Because things is an all encompassing word. And all encompassing is exactly what IoT wants you to know about it.

From pacemakers to smart watches, the Internet of Things simply put is anything that will communicate data between devices and over networks. The newest home thermostat, door locks, light switches or refrigerator that can be controlled by your smart phone falls under this category. While all of this on the outset can seem incredibly cool and handy ( I mean, who wouldn’t want to walk into a house that is already at the perfect temperature), it does come with security concerns.

With more and more devices being connected to the internet, that means more opportunities for cyber criminals to gain vital information. With this knowledge,we have to ask then, what is being done to safeguard us? According to William H. Saito, who wrote this article on Forbes.com, if leading thinkers don’t act soon, IoT could mean “internet of threats”.  Firmware needs updated, standards need set and regulated and patches need pushed. And that’s just where the security of IoT starts.

So, are you looking suspiciously at your Smart Watch now?

BYOD

BYOD for Business. Good or Bad?

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a hot topic in the business world right now. This policy allows employees to bring and use their personal mobile devices, laptops, smartphones, tablets and more to work. Is it safe for your office? There are benefits and risks to implementing BYOD you should consider before you allow this policy in your workplace.

 

Data Security

BYOD may imply that client information is on personal devices, ones you cannot control.  If you are in a compliance industry  this could cause serious trouble, but even without compliance issues, you should be careful of internal confidential information being on a device owned by an employee or consultant.  Accidents happen and you don’t want your price list posted to Facebook.  Carefully review the benefits of your staff having data at their fingertips with the associated risk.

Legal Issues

In some states, you need to worry about overtime laws if employees check and reply to email or information requests after hours.  You may be breaking the law by having honest people working hard for your firm, without pay.  BYOD can elevate this situation by allowing work email to be on personal devices.  Your staff means well, but the law is the law. Be sure to check with legal counsel on this issue.

Loss of Device Control

There are 2 additional scenarios to worry about apart from data security.  One, what if your employee quits?  Do you have the rights and ability to remotely erase their device? You certainly cannot have an ex-employee having any of your data.  In addition, what if your employee loses their device?  Do you have a process in place to erase it ASAP?   Do you have a rule for the employee to tell you about the situation as soon as it happens to protect your information?  If not, strangers could access your data without your knowledge

Cost

If you do decide to implement BYOD, will you be covering the employee’s data plan or part of it?  How will you discriminate between personal use and corporate use?  4G wireless can eat up data plans quickly and a doubled cell phone bill at the end of the month is not a nice surprise.  One benefit here is you can help the employee pay for part of the data plan and share the cost of the device, making it better and more affordable for both parties.

Familiarity and Ease of Use

Allowing your staff to use the device they are comfortable with and already familiar makes sense.  The learning curve is quicker and staff will appreciate the fact that they don’t have to maintain and carry around 2 or more devices.

Bring your own device sounds great to many business owners to save money, but after careful analysis it may be too good to be true.   Talk to your IT provider and get some answers before deciding.  As always, ECMSI is happy to answer questions or point you in the right direction.  We can be reached at 330-750-9412!