Bringing your own device started with cell phones, even back when they simply made (gasp!) calls. Even with that type of device however, you still have issues. Are people allowed to make business calls on personal phones? Now of course, with smart phones, tablets, personal laptop systems and many other devices, the picture is even murkier.
I think, on a practical and reality-basis, that it’s past-time to embrace devices. If you do, if you work with your teams to create an environment that supports their use of devices while at the same time protecting your systems, everyone wins. It’s easier said than done, of course, but it is doable.
Your applications work will have to change, along with your security systems and how you provide for remote storage of information for your company. There are many challenges to address. For example, what happens when someone leaves the company and they used their personal table for reporting, or updating your corporate information systems? It’s not as simple as taking back the device as you may with a desktop system. You can’t really reformat or reinitialize the system either; they have all sorts of other, personally-owned, bits on that system.
What do you do?
You need to address first with policy, then with procedure. The policy needs to give you the access and expectations that you need to make sure things go smoothly both in a resignation and a termination. The processes in those two cases are similar, but the implementation of those processes can get vastly different and face distinct challenges.
What have you done at your company? Do you have policies in place? How do you handle data that’s "in the field" and on these types of devices? How did you go about putting steps in place?
Shoot me a note (swynk@sswug.org), or comment on the site – let me know what has worked for you.