Why byod scares me

And usability is winning. This battle carries major security implications. I've yet to meet the end-user who wants to be bothered by authentication, from CEOs to low-level employees to my own daughters. No one wants to fuss with a log-on of any type. They'll accept security as long as it doesn't get in their way. Every CEO I've encountered has asked me to get rid of nagging password log-ons so that they can get down to real business. Keep up with key security issues with InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter.

The inherent promise of BYOD is that it will have less security. Think about it. Users say they want -- no, need -- BYOD because it makes their worklife easier. What do they mean? It isn't just the form factor; we've had small-form-factor computers for a long time. It isn't usability by itself because no one can tell me how the browsing and computing experience improves once the browser is fired up in any platform.

Waves of mobile digital devices flooding into the workplace, threatening to overwhelm current information security policies, procedures, and controls. A lot of organizations are still assessing the productivity benefits of iPads, iPods, iPhones, Android tablets, smartphones, and so on. At the same time IT managers are trying to weigh those benefits against the risks that come with these devices.

But what is the real size and scope of the problem? Are current impressions of an onslaught of insecure mobile devices accurate? These are important questions with serious implications for information security. Depending on your current perceptions the results may be very surprising. In others words, BYOD is not coming, it is here, in a big way. Sounds easy enough, but rather than paying one corporate phone bill, 25 employees had to submit expense reports. This taxed the managers and the accounting department.

An alternative to expense reimbursement is a stipend. Stipends, Hampton says, offset some or all of the cost of the device and service. But he points out there is a downside. Addressing BYOD Complexity Enterprises must also address a host of other issues related to BYOD, including data protection, network security, and policies to address legal matters and compliance with state and federal regulations.

Legal policies can become so complex, notes Lerner, that in some cases it may just be easier to stick with company-issued hardware, which is already set up according to corporate policies. Get the best of Field Technologies Online delivered straight to your Inbox!

Sign in or Sign-up. Magazine Article September 25, By Pedro Pereira, Field Technologies magazine Companies should address cost, legal, and security issues before allowing the use of employee-owned devices.