Many small tech firms have been able to capitalize on the benefits of employing a bring your own device policy, thanks to workers being able to be connected at all times and complete work outside of "normal" work hours on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Data protection lacking on devices
However, recent research conducted by Harris Interactive found few employees are taking the right precautions for securing business critical data when upgrading their devices. The survey found that only 16 percent of employees had their devices professionally wiped, and only 5 percent got the device securely destroyed.
Fiberlink’s Director of Marketing, Jonathan Dale, emphasized the importance of keeping corporate data safe on employees’ personal devices. This should be top priority for businesses, he said, to safeguard sensitive data throughout the lifecycles of each device.The holiday season brings with it a slew of new devices from manufacturers like Apple, Google and Microsoft, making it “important to know the right way to decommission a device," said Dale.
Devices hold precious information
As technology continues to improve, employees at small tech firms will need to get the latest devices to make sure they can remain as productive as possible, inside and out of the workplace. When it comes to their old devices, 58 percent of survey participants kept them, while just 13 percent returned it to their service providers.
Before doing anything with their devices, it's imperative these mobile workers are able to get rid of all the information contained by the smartphone or tablet. Putting business critical information in the wrong hands could pose a major problem for the firm. With cyberliability insurance policies, businesses can protect against any of their information that becomes stolen or compromised.
Mobile device management standards must catch up
Small tech employers who encourage the use of personal devices for work purposes need to create policies for smartphone and tablet usage. According to AOL Government, the Department of Defense is working toward more strict BYOD standards after shifting to a more mobile environment.
The source outlined some of the strategies they plan to enlist, which include controlling the information on the device, not the device itself, building policies for how to secure information and purchasing technology that is capable of being secured to the highest extent.