Understanding What is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy in a Company

Bring Your Own Device, a.k.a. BYOD, is a policy companies implement today. This policy is standard in newly established start-up companies with limited infrastructure. Employees must bring their own devices to support their work in the office.

When implemented in the company, the BYOD policy will have pros and cons for employees. Some employees agree with BYOD because they don't need to adapt to computer equipment in the office. On the other hand, some employees disagree because work data will mix with their personal data on the computer.

Have you started to consider implementing a BYOD policy in your company? Cloudmatika will give you a complete review of BYOD, including its advantages, disadvantages, and proper implementation steps. Check out this article so that you can implement this policy properly.
 

Definition of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a policy that allows employees to bring their personal devices to work. These devices can be smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Employees can use their devices to work and access company data and applications.

This policy has been popular since 2009. At that time, computer companies from the United States began to realize the habit of employees bringing personal devices to work. In addition, smartphones and laptops started to proliferate, increasing flexibility at work.

The company initiated the Bring Your Own Device policy for the first time. Since then, this policy has begun to spread to several companies across the country, including Indonesia.

The implementation of the BYOD policy could have gone better from the start. Many companies objected to this policy because they were worried about data leakage. In the end, many companies agreed with this policy. They also began to improve the security system of the personal devices used to make the data stored on them safer.

Also Read: Memahami Apa itu Data Security: Pengertian dan Manfaatnya bagi Perusahaan Anda
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Advantages of BYOD for Companies

The BYOD system has advantages and disadvantages that companies should consider. Let's start by discussing the benefits.
 

1. Shorter Adaptation Time

Employees do not need to adapt to the devices available in the office because they are used to using their personal devices. They already understand a device's workings, processes, and features so that they can utilize it efficiently. This advantage will certainly increase employee work productivity and allow the company to operate smoothly.
 

2. Can Save Costs

BYOD policy does not require you to provide computers or other devices for both new and existing employees. As a result, costs are more efficient, and you can allocate the costs to more needed things. As an alternative facility, you can provide allowances for employees' use of personal devices.
 

3. Use of the Latest Facilities

Some employees have computer features or software that are more updated and sophisticated than the devices available at the company. The latest features certainly make work more effective and quickly completed. Your employees can utilize these features to provide more satisfying work results for the company.
 

Disadvantages of BYOD for Companies

Behind the benefits described above, there are also disadvantages of BYOD that companies should consider. What are the disadvantages?
 

1. Higher Security Risk

Not all users' personal devices have a qualified security system. In addition, some users are still unfamiliar with the dangers of cyber-attacks and tend to click on links that lead to phishing websites. This condition is undoubtedly a company's primary concern because hackers hack into personal devices and steal essential data.

Also Read: Apa Itu Phising serta Ciri-ciri, Jenis, dan Tips Menghindarinya

However, you can anticipate this risk by educating employees about the importance of cybersecurity. In addition, you can install Cloudmatika Mail Buster to block spam e-mails and malicious links immediately.

2. More Complex IT Support

The higher potential for data leakage certainly requires companies to provide IT Support. Unfortunately, this support is more complicated because it is used on different devices.
 

3. Limited Personal Data Storage

Employees feel this shortcoming more often than by companies. Extensive company data will undoubtedly require more storage capacity. As a result, employees have more limited personal data storage capacity due to this problem. However, you can still overcome this by using FileBox from Cloudmatika.

Also Read: Langkah serta Manfaat Mengelola Dokumen Kantor dengan Teknologi Cloud Storage
 

How to Implement a BYOD Policy in a Company

After considering the advantages and disadvantages, do you want to implement this policy in your company? You must take these four steps to apply a BYOD policy in your company. What are they?
 

1. Start with Planning

Implementing a BYOD policy also requires careful planning. It would be best if you decided which employees should bring their devices to the office. You also have to make some rules related to BYOD to maintain the security of the stored data. Also, plan for IT support so the company can help employees if their devices experience problems.
 

2. Ensure Data Security

Data security is undoubtedly the biggest challenge in the BYOD policy. Therefore, you must ensure employees have a safe and protected device from cyber-attacks. Use the latest technology and install antivirus software on your employees' devices to prevent potential data loss due to malware or phishing.

Also Read: Metode Backup yang Tepat untuk Menjaga Keamanan Data dalam Lingkungan Masyarakat Digital
 

3. Communicate BYOD Policy

Next, you need to communicate the BYOD policy to employees. Ensure employees understand the policy and apply its rules regarding their devices. For new employees, you can mention the BYOD policy at the beginning of the employment agreement so they are ready and immediately bring their devices.
 

4. Provide Support

Last, you must ensure that IT support is continuously available during company operating hours. You can recruit employees to fill IT support positions so that they can immediately step in to help if there is a problem with the employee's device.

The BYOD policy will run well if supported by qualified software. One helpful software for BYOD policy is FileBox, a cloud-based storage media with unlimited users. Your employees can access data in FileBox on different devices, so sending data using e-mail or messaging applications is unnecessary.

They don't have to use personal computer memory to store office data because FileBox can save the computer's local disc capacity. The installation process is easy, and you can access FileBox through File Explorer, so there is no need to open a browser. Contact us immediately via WhatsApp for more information about FileBox. Make your BYOD policy run efficiently with Cloudmatika's services!