Is Your Company Data Safe on Employee Devices?

Whether your employees work in an office, a coffee shop, or from their vehicles, they likely couldn’t do their jobs without their phones, tablets, or laptops. In a cost-saving move, many companies have implemented BYOD, or bring your own device, policies that allow employees to use their personal devices for work-related activities. 

This is an increasingly popular trend, with 83% of companies having such a policy in some form. While there are benefits to BYOD, it would be irresponsible to not also consider the potential privacy and security risks your company is exposing itself to. If any employee devices are lost, stolen, hacked, or infected with malware, what does that mean for your company? 

If you’re one of the majority of businesses whose employees use their personal devices for work, mobile usage guidelines will help you secure your data no matter where it was accessed. 

Mobile Device Management Best Practices

To stave off security threats and data breaches, many companies have turned to mobile device management (MDM) policies, which set rules for how mobile devices are used and secured. The specifics of the guidelines you set for your employees will depend on exactly what they do with their mobile devices, what software and applications they use, and how sensitive the data they interact with is. However, there are some universal best practices that can be implemented to protect your company data. 

Require Passcodes & Passwords

When it comes to protecting your data, don’t underestimate the power of a strong password or passcode. Of course, it’s not just the act of setting up and using a good password, it’s also important you teach your employees good password etiquette. This includes things like not sharing passwords with others, always locking a device when it’s left unattended—even if it’s just for a moment, and changing older passwords. When possible, you should also set up multi-factor authentication for any internal systems at your company.

Mandate System Updates

If employees are working with an older operating system or software program, they’re working in a less secure environment. Asking employees to promptly install new updates is a simple way for them to ensure their devices are as secure as they can be. 

Prohibit Rooted or Jailbroken Devices

A rooted (Android) or jailbroken (Apple) device is a smartphone or tablet that has been unlocked to customize settings or install apps not found in their app store. Unfortunately, rooting or jailbreaking a device can compromise security when pirated apps with malware are installed. To be safe, any employees with these devices should be restricted or banned from using company data. 

Avoid Public Wifi & USB Ports

Public networks or USB ports are both common pathways for malware or hacking attempts. There’s just no way to know who else is on an unsecured network, or who has had access to a USB port, so the best course of action is to ask employees to avoid them. If they have to use a public network, you may want to give them guidelines such as turning off file sharing and AirDrop capabilities or using a VPN before accessing sensitive data. 

Only Use Trusted Software and Apps

If you know your employees are working with sensitive data, make sure the applications they’re using are also taking proper security measures. If you are meeting compliance standards, but the applications that interact with your data are not, your business could still inadvertently be at risk of a security breach. You should consider creating a list of any unapproved applications, and ask employees not to use them on devices in which they also store company data. 

Keep Data Secure With CompanyMileage

As a company whose software supports many healthcare organizations, CompanyMileage makes security a top priority. As a Business Associate, we sign a BAA with every customer, ensuring that we meet the same standards for protected health information (PHI) security and HIPAA compliance that any healthcare organization would. 

Additionally, we’ve implemented a three tier system consisting of data encryption, secure facilities and equipment, and strict security policies that work in tandem to keep customer data safe and secure. As long as your employees are using SureMobile to track trip mileage and submit expense reports, no sensitive company data will ever be stored on their personal devices. 

BYOD policies are likely here to stay for sometime in the workplace, but with the right practices and technology in place, you don’t need to put your business at risk. Request a demo with CompanyMileage to learn more about how we support your mobile employees while working to keep sensitive data secure.