It’s vital that businesses take a number of precautions to ensure that the policy does not impact their data security.
(PRWEB UK) 13 December 2013
The latest backup technology is being advised to safeguard critical business data, as a growing number of businesses are turning to a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) policy.
The BYOD approach gives employees the flexibility to use their personal IT devices for work by accessing the company’s network and file sharing systems.
Mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops have subsequently become an integral part of many business' IT infrastructures.
Larger corporations are tracking this trend, and earlier this month IBM announced its intension to acquire Fibrelink - a cloud based mobile file management system that allows companies to share network files remotely.
The benefits of the BYOD policy can impact both productivity and cost. Device flexibility means employees can connect to business networks from anywhere, which gives companies a diverse range of options as to how they deploy their staff.
Companies can allow staff to work from home or visit clients and customers with complete freedom without the need to provide the hardware to support it.
BYOD policies are shifting the cost of the device away from the organisation, leaving the employee financially responsible for their own equipment but able to choose the technology that suites them.
In light of this trend, IT experts are warning of the dangers associated with allowing users this added freedom.
Fareham based IT company Taylor Made Computer Solutions consult businesses on their IT usage policies and data security on a regular basis. Managing Director, Tim Walker at Taylor Made Computer Solutions says:
“The flexibility that ‘bring your own device’ policies offer businesses can be extremely empowering, both for staff and IT administrators.”
Tim added, ”However, it does come with some significant challenges. It’s vital that businesses take a number of precautions to ensure that the policy does not impact their data security."
One major concern for IT administrators is that employees are able to install any software they choose to their given device, this can range from trusted software to apps and games from various origins.
These can pose a significant malware threat that could be passed on to a corporate network.
With employees capable of accessing operationally critical data from personal devices, the need for an effective mobile back-up protocol has become a necessity.
Consultants from Taylor Made Computer Solutions have seen a significant rise in companies using a BYOD policy and have been advising companies to consider using a cloud backup system.
Online or cloud back-up solutions have been hailed as the next generation of data protection.
Capable of backing up data in near real time, this form of data storage gives IT administrators peace of mind when allowing employees the freedom of BYOD.
Managed Services Manager, Peter Hughes from Taylor Made says:
“For companies using a BYOD policy, our Securo Online Backup and Recovery solution can help companies keep their business data safe even on mobile devices, including laptops and smartphones. They can also benefit from lower license fees for their mobile devices on the network.”
Online back-up methods use software to transfer network data to storage facilities off-site. IT professionals consider this best practice to allow for ‘disaster recovery’ in the event that onsite data storage is compromised.
Taylor Made are urging businesses to fully review their BYOD policy and ensure their data back-up methods provide the right level of security. A 14-day free trial can be accessed via the Securo website for any business interested in utilising cloud back-up services.
For more information on the benefits of online back-up, the Securo team can be contacted by calling 0845 241 9696.