Known as the BYOD Policy (Bring your own device), the use of personal devices is a policy implemented by companies that aims to allow employees to use their own devices, such as computers, tablets and phones. for accessing company data and networks and carrying out tasks during working hours. This way, the organization does not need to make devices available and force employees to use them to carry out their activities.
This policy has brought a significant transformation to companies in all segments, since the vast majority use them in the workplace.
In addition to being a methodology that guarantees increased productivity for all employees, the use of personal devices also contributes to cost savings and improved satisfaction in the work environment. However, it is essential that the company takes some specific precautions to ensure the good use of these devices and reduce damage in the face of this current cyber threat.
BYOD policy: understand the concept
BYOD, in a simplified way, is a policy that allows employees to use their own devices to carry out activities in the workplace . This use is governed based on security policies and strategies aimed at protecting networks and information stored by the business.
In addition to providing more savings for companies, this strategy also allows employees to have more flexibility in their routine, as long as all requirements are met and there is a lot of balance to maintain productivity.
Contrary to popular belief, implementing this strategy is more complex than it appears. In fact, implementing strategies involves several essential steps, from creating a security policy, managing devices and strategies for secure access, to implementing measures to maintain productivity.
This is because it is the company's responsibility to ensure, in accordance with the specifications of the General Data Protection Law , the necessary requirements so that the information stored and handled remains secure. The use of personal devices, although beneficial, must be a strategy observed and implemented according to specific security requirements.
BYOD in practice: what changes for your company
We know that BYOD is a strategy that is gaining more and more space within the market. The advancement of digital transformation has led to the use of increasingly intelligent and efficient resources to ensure greater productivity and security, including the use of proprietary devices.
With increasingly complete devices, it is possible to carry out different types of activities in the workplace. For this reason, organizations have seen the use of personal devices as an intelligent and assertive strategy to guarantee the completion of tasks and maintain employee productivity.
Fundação Getúlio Vargas carries out an annual survey on the use of technology in Brazil , providing important data on the number of devices and the way in which these devices are used. According to this study, Brazil has 249 million smartphones in use , representing a number of 1.2 smartphones per inhabitant. Considering tablets and notebooks, this number jumps to 364 million portable devices.
Find out why this trend has a major impact on the routine of organizations:
Data like this highlights the strong presence of the use of mobile devices among the population, becoming an interesting opportunity for companies to increase their productivity and guarantee various benefits, such as cost reduction and improved organizational climate, which we will see in more detail below. follow.
Benefits of BYOD
The strategy was presented by Intel, a giant in the technology sector, which started to apply BYOD in 2009. Following the trend, companies like Microsoft started to allow employees to use their own devices to carry out daily activities.
As we can see, the use of personal devices has shown great growth among companies . This growth is mainly due to the great benefits that this process can provide, as we will see below:
Productivity increase
Increasing productivity is one of the biggest benefits of using your own devices in the workplace. This is because using a device that the user is already accustomed to, without the need to use company equipment, makes these employees feel more comfortable carrying out their tasks.
This means that the use of personal devices eliminates the need for training and qualifications to carry out tasks on an unfamiliar device. Furthermore, the use of our own devices also allows workers to carry out their tasks remotely with more comfort and safety.
Cost Savings
Cost savings are one of the main benefits of using this methodology. With the help of BYOD, your company will no longer invest in equipment and devices to be used on a daily basis , reducing costs not only with acquisition but also with tracking, management, maintenance and upgrades.
The implementation of BYOD is a strategy that will allow your organization to invest its resources in other strategies as important as this, ensuring that your investments are directed more intelligently.
Improvement of the organizational climate
To ensure greater productivity, it is important that the company is able to establish an adequate organizational climate. Employees who use their own device to carry out their tasks feel more comfortable carrying out their activities, mainly due to their familiarity with the environment itself.
Furthermore, personal devices make it easier to implement remote work, which is an excellent benefit for employees. Another big difference is that the use of your own devices will ensure that your employee feels more comfortable and empowered to carry out their tasks.
Is seen positively by employees
We know that employees tend to feel pressured or controlled when they are forced to use company-provided devices. The possibility of using your own devices to carry out daily activities is considered a benefit for employees , demonstrating that the company is differentiated and focused on technological innovation.
In some cases, organizations even offer reimbursement for using their own devices during daily tasks , which is very positive for employees.
Optimization of the employee onboarding and dismissal process
We know that employee turnover is something to be avoided and is a huge problem within companies. However, facilitating this process can be extremely positive for the organization.
The use of personal devices allows the company to carry out this shutdown process more easily, without worrying about the return of the devices and the access of these employees to the company's networks and systems.
Why is BYOD a fast-growing concept?
Digital mobility has become increasingly present with technological evolution. Currently, it is practically impossible to find a person who does not use a smartphone, computer or tablet every day in their routine, demonstrating how connected we have become to these devices.
According to the BYOD security report developed by Bitglass , during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, 82% of organizations changed their methodology to a strategy of using employees' own devices. Contrary to expectations, this change brought a huge increase in productivity in the results obtained by these companies.
In this sense, we can observe how the broad growth of BYOD in the market can be evidenced through impressive numbers. More and more companies are adopting this strategy to ensure not only cost savings, but also increased productivity during the work routine .
One of the most popular examples of the implementation of this strategy is the technology giant Intel , mainly responsible for popularizing the strategy and pioneering its implementation in 2009 . Intel's BYOD policy can cover more than 30,000 employee devices, an impressive number.
For this change to be successful, management established a transparent and effective communication process with its employees , making it clear what types of information could or could not be seen when using the devices during working hours. This communication process continues today, so the company is always available to answer questions and offer guidance on BYOD.
What are the risks of BYOD for your company?
Just like any strategy, using personal devices to carry out company activities also has some negative points, as we will see below:
- Employees have great concerns regarding the privacy of information and data visibility;
- The use of personal devices can also increase cybersecurity risks if your company does not have specific tools and strategies for this;
- Companies related to finance, healthcare and government agencies may also present some compliance challenges when implementing BYOD, especially with regard to the handling and viewing of personal data.
However, with the correct security features in place, BYOD can be a very efficient and complete solution for your organization. The most important thing is that the company is prepared to implement this strategy and ensures that employees have all the necessary security resources available to maintain privacy and security when using these devices.
Implementing the method safely
Before implementing this method within companies, managers need to consider some key factors. The first step in this process is to carry out a complete assessment to ensure that the infrastructure is suitable for this methodology and whether this change could be beneficial to the business.
Once this is done, it is also essential to determine how the data will be made available to employees. Considering that these devices will be used to carry out the organization's essential tasks, it is essential that your company determines how data can be accessed securely and how employees can do this easily.
It is also necessary to ensure that information remains secure and confidential while carrying out tasks. More than complying with the LGPD , your company must ensure that holders of this information have their rights guaranteed and your company's image is not harmed by leakage or loss of confidential information.
Once these factors are analyzed, the implementation of the BYOD policy within your organization can begin . To make this possible, this process can take place in a few steps:
- Planning clear goals and objectives for implementing BYOD;
- Creating policies for the use of personal devices during work hours, including information security, data privacy and compliance;
- Transmission of the guidelines of this policy, so that all employees understand the implications of using personal devices for work;
- Implementation of security features to ensure information security;
- Implementation of device management capabilities for tracking, monitoring and security control;
- Implementation of resources for data segmentation, so that it is possible to separate personal information from data related to the employee's activity;
- Creation of a strategy for technical support, if the employee needs help with technical problems;
- Training employees on policies, security resources and procedures related to this new methodology;
- Carrying out monitoring in order to determine whether the BYOD program will deliver the expected results;
- Evaluation of results and updates to implement improvements.
How to create an effective security policy
The security policy to be implemented by your company after adopting a methodology for using personal devices must consider all factors related to the activity and routine of these employees . This means that this policy must address the security requirements related to carrying out daily tasks and also the behavior of this user in the digital environment.
It is very important that your employees understand the importance of establishing safe digital behavior to avoid cyber threats that can harm not only company information, but also the user's personal data.
The security policy will provide a basis for employees to understand the impact that cyber attacks can have on the security of the company's information, understanding that the use of personal devices is a benefit.
Protection first
We know that information security is a priority within companies. In addition to protecting the information of its customers and consumers, it is also necessary for the business to be concerned with the stored data of employees, suppliers and partners.
The adoption of security tools on devices that are used to carry out daily tasks is essential to maintain information protection. It is the company's responsibility to ensure that this data remains protected and that employees use work-related devices intelligently and safely.
The General Data Protection Law introduced protocols to be followed to ensure the protection of information. Following these protocols is much more than just obeying a series of guidelines: it is essential that there is a change in the attitude of the company and its employees, adopting a culture of digital security .
Investing in employee awareness is essential
The use of personal devices in the workplace is a strategy that must be implemented carefully and considering all factors related to cybersecurity . This means that your company will not carry out an immediate release of devices: it must happen in a careful and planned manner , as a way of ensuring that this change is beneficial and does not bring any risk to the organization.
For this reason, the security policy must not only be well developed, it is essential that the company raises awareness among employees in a transparent and simplified way. This way, your company will be able to make them understand the importance of a safer posture in the digital environment and why security tools are so important in their routine.
The more prepared employees are to deal with cyber threats, the lower the risk of these problems causing losses to your organization. Awareness is an essential process and must be established even before the devices are released for use in the company.
Adopt effective tools to ensure security and productivity
We know that there are several technological solution options that can be used to ensure greater security and privacy for information. However, it is essential to choose reliable tools and well-established companies in the market to guarantee all the protection your business needs.
The security tools used by your organization, such as internet access control and security platforms, must provide all the resources your company needs so that this strategy can achieve its objectives. For this reason, the selection process must be done carefully and consider all factors that may impact your organization's routine.
We know that there are several technological solution options that can be used to ensure greater security and privacy for information. However, it is essential to choose reliable tools and well-established companies in the market to guarantee all the protection your business needs.
The security tools used by your organization, such as internet access control and security platforms , must provide all the resources your company needs so that this strategy can achieve its objectives. For this reason, the selection process must be done carefully and consider all factors that may impact your organization's routine.
Lumiun services , your company can count on a comprehensive solution that includes not only internet access control, but also advanced cybersecurity features. This platform offers a range of functionalities, from creating access rules and policies to real-time monitoring, providing a complete experience in terms of security and productivity.
Furthermore, Lumiun stands out for its commitment to compliance, complying with regulations such as LGPD , and for its proven effectiveness in companies from different sectors. By adopting Lumiun solutions, your company will be investing in a robust and reliable approach to ensuring information integrity and operational efficiency. After all, security and productivity are essential pillars for organizational success in the digital scenario.
