In a world practically swept with handheld computing and internet devices including tablet PCs, smart phones, bringing personal device to the workplace and using them for respective job objectives is a common fact. In the recent times almost every corporate houses and enterprises have come up with their own Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy to tackle the emerging issues as security of information, especially malware threats in BYOD environment can pose array of challenges for company's integrity and privacy. When you bring your own smart phone or other easy to carry personal computing devices at the workplace you can either succumb to the temptation of using the device for replying official mails or getting access to the office network or simply you are permitted to work from your personal device in case you are to move out on business purposes. There can be multitude of such scenarios when your personal devices would come handy to for so called official work environment use, either within the office premises or outside of it. But in all cases such situations can give rise to malware threats in BYOD environment. Let us have a look at few of such threats.
A recent study on malware threats in BYOD environments
As BYOD policy is increasingly becoming crucial for enterprises with the ever growing use of personal computing devices in workplace, for security professionals and analysts this is posing burgeoning level of challenges. Several studies all over the globe are regularly being conducted over the issue. For instance we can cite a very recent study on the malware threats in BYOD environment. This study conducted by Webroot, a leading internet security service provider unveils many aspects of the range and encompass of such security concerns. This study conducted among the internet security and mobile security decision makers in United States, UK and Australia, 3 nations with highest BYOD vulnerability unfolds that a whopping 24% of such smart device users experience one sort of mobile malware infections, while in large organizations the risk is far bigger. Among the employees of 500 such firms the study reported that 32% users are infected by malware. While no company can think otherwise but to support BYOD as bringing personal devices to workplace is inevitable, the security risks are sure to increase at a steady speed.
Some important steps to improve security measures in BYOD environment
Malware threats in BYOD environment and other loopholes concerning the use of personal devices in workplace are subject to wide array of security control measures. Here are some ways as to how malware threats in BYOD environment can be controlled and taken care by appropriate security measures.
- Device control policies
- Device level security
- Workforce security training on personal devices
A policy that takes care of personal devices and their applications for workplace use without creating any threat to private information and maintains overall data security and integrity is the foremost step to improve security measures in BYOD environment.
Maintaining company approved passwords, screen locks and running company approved security software to protect against malware threats and other security break ups is important for securing enterprise IT from malware threats in BYOD environment.
Another important step is to provide training to the personnel using their own devices in the workplace regarding how to maintain security measures for mutual benefits and also to sensitize about the integrity issues concerning misuse of personal devices in workplace.