With the prevalence of mobile devices, employers are now faced with a unique challenge. As employees bring in their mobile devices, tablets and smart phones, and want to use them in the course of doing their job. This presents several problems that must be addressed.
Security Issues
The first concern is security, particularly if you have a secured network. Once an employee gains access to that network, the information is saved on their device. If they should lose that device, there is the potential that your network security could be compromised. In addition, if the employee is using their device to handle confidential company or customer information, there is an even greater risk that the data could be compromised.
Many companies have set up strict no device policies as a result of issues that arise with customer and company information being shared improperly.
More Help Desk Issues
Your help desk or IT department is already likely stretched thin. Add into the mix a host of devices that your employees need help configuring or using and they will have even more work to do. While some employees are tech savvy enough to handle some issues, problems with network connections and Exchange servers will most likely require extra help from your IT department.
Solving the Problem
Depending on your budget constraints, you may want to consider providing employees with wireless devices, such as tablets, that will help them do their jobs, but keep the devices as company property and not allow them out of the building. This allows you to take advantage of the best of both worlds — your employees can be more productive, while you can rest assured that your data is secure and your network will maintain the proper security level.
In addition, you may even want to consider developing your own secure applications for use on mobile devices. This will help appease your employees thirst for better technology and improve your daily operations. While developing an app can be an expensive process, it will help you stay on top of your competitors and the changing times.
As technology continues to evolve and applications improve, companies will be shifting their technology budgets to include more mobile devices. By learning about the security issues now and coming up with a strategy that address all sides of the issue, you’ll be prepared. You can learn a lot from the early adopters who went through embarrassing security lapses and learned the hard way that its better to accommodate employees, but to do it on their own terms.
Do you have a question about implementing a device policy in your company or managing the use of devices? Let the experts at ContemporaryStaffing help you today!