History is replete with significant events that disrupt societies. COVID ranks as one of those. It ushered in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) from an outlier movement to a normal working lifestyle for millions of employees.
But with millions of remote devices comes a consequent rash of security issues. IT departments suddenly faced significant challenges in mitigating the threats of malware, data breaches, and rogue apps. Further still, many BYOD environments lacked visibility and suffered from decreased IT control.
When BYOD Wasn't an Option
Before the advent of widespread remote working, IT managers were reluctant to allow employees to use their own devices.
Why? Because they couldn't verify where or how these devices were used. Control over any aspect of a BYOD environment seemed limited at best.
Indeed, the dangers of having employees access sensitive data from anywhere, including unsecured networks, seemed a risky proposition.
Moreover, they could store information on unsecured, unpatched devices.
These are high-risk, highly compromised scenarios.
"Historically, IT departments couldn't guarantee that a personal laptop would be updated with the requisite access policy and with the correct firewalls with antivirus protection," said Gerard Adlum, Head of Content Strategy & External Comms at Thinscale. "And there was no visibility over what was running on someone's laptop."
Of course, goal of any IT department is to have a robust IT security framework that comprises dozens of complex technical issues.
Yet – as Adlum alludes - before Covid, guaranteeing security in a BYOD environment seemed an incredibly arduous task, especially while observing employee privacy and data protection laws.
Malware Is Everywhere
Perhaps the most daunting risk to a successful BYOD strategy is malware breaches. After all, when an employee doesn't regularly perform security updates, malware can steal company data or instigate a ransomware attack. And threat actors never sleep.
"If a company has 30,000 employees with 30,000 devices that need to be updated with security patches and making sure that firewall policies are up to date, that's a huge effort, even when it's on site," Adlum explained. "The challenge is infinitely more complex when employees are remote."
The Device Is Out There. Now Get it Back?
Consider the globally dispersed workforce of call center workers. The high turnover rate of call center agents raises unique challenges for IT departments. Some might work for three months during a peak season and then leave.
How does an IT department remove sensitive data from an employee's laptop? Does IT expect to get the device back?
"BYOD is a cost-efficient and an IT-efficient way of equipping overseas call agents," said Adlum. "They use their laptop, and with the right security software, they can work securely and confidently that it's a sound as a corporate device."
The Solution: "The "Security Shell" Around Devices
ThinScale specialises in endpoint security and offers a highly secure way to protect devices in remote and hybrid settings.
"ThinScale offers very light touch software," Adlum explained. "While you're working, it creates a secure shell within your device. Employees only get access to the apps that your IT team has permitted."
