Navigating BYOD Security: Proven Strategies and Best Practices for Success

The era of working from a single device, at a single desk, in a single office is over. Thanks to portable electronics and wireless internet connections, employees can work from just about anywhere. If they don’t have an authorized work machine handy, they’ll use their personal devices instead.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is now a common practice, which makes BYOD security more important than ever. If you allow your staff to use their own smartphones or laptops, you need to implement comprehensive security best practices to protect your company, your employees, your devices, and ultimately, your data.

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What is BYOD security?

BYOD security is a broad term that encompasses everything your organization does to keep company data safe on personal devices. Implementing policies for appropriate device usage, installing apps to scan for malware, and educating employees about potential security risks are all part of a comprehensive BYOD program.

Navigating BYOD security can be tricky. In a large organization, employees could use hundreds of different devices across half a dozen different operating systems. Some devices may have all the latest software updates and operating system versions, while others may be outdated and contain known vulnerabilities. Similarly, some workers may be well-versed in cybersecurity best practices, while others are one phishing attempt away from a security breach. Implementing a smart BYOD policy requires a fine balance of trust and caution, as well as security and privacy.

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What are the risks and challenges of BYOD?

Malware infection

If malware infects a personal device, that’s bad news for a single person. If malware infects a personal device with access to a professional network, that could be bad news for your whole organization.

Different kinds of malware can steal login credentials, log keystrokes, escalate access privileges, hold files for ransom, or simply brick a machine completely. If employees don’t properly secure their personal devices, they run the risk of downloading malware and spreading it far beyond their home networks.

Out-of-date devices

On company-managed devices, you can schedule and install security updates whenever you choose. On employee-owned devices, the situation is much murkier. Workers may not install patches right away. In fact, if they have older devices, they may not be able to install new patches at all.

Outdated applications and operating systems can be a big problem, as threat actors can exploit known vulnerabilities at their leisure. And while you can encourage employees to keep their personal devices patched, you can’t force them.

Data leakage and loss

If you’ve ever sent a text to the wrong person, then you know how simple it can be to accidentally share data on a personal device. Now, replace that errant text with a confidential document. Even if employees try to take good care of your organization’s data, accidents can and do happen. This might not be a big deal if it winds up in a friend’s inbox, but could be a disaster if it winds up on a public distribution list.

Personal devices also tend to have weaker security measures than company-owned devices. If a malicious actor gets their hands on a personal device, accessing the data inside of it might not be too difficult.

Mixing personal and business use

If you use personal and work accounts on the same device, sooner or later, something is going to get mixed up. Common apps, such as Gmail, Slack, Firefox, and Photoshop let users switch freely between personal and workplace accounts, but which account you’re using is not always clear at first glance. Emails could originate from the wrong address; private information could wind up in public chats; personal browsing histories could be visible to an employer. Users risk their privacy, while organizations risk their cybersecurity.

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Strategies for enhancing BYOD security

Containerization

Containerization is a way to create an isolated environment for software and apps, often in the cloud. Containerized programs are usually lightweight and can run on a variety of systems. Furthermore, you can limit how much data goes into or out of the app. If your organization uses custom-built software, containerization lets you distribute and run it in a safe, device-agnostic way. Better still, users are unlikely to confuse specialized work software with their everyday apps.

Application control

One surefire way to enhance BYOD security is to directly control the apps that employees can install. This method is not without controversy. Employees may have well-founded privacy concerns about letting organizations monitor their personal devices. Depending on your organization’s policies and contracts, you may not be able to insist upon doing so.

Still, accessing organizational tools on personal devices is a two-way street. Employers need to balance convenience with security, and privacy often gets caught in the middle. If you work with highly sensitive data or encounter frequent cybersecurity risks, controlling app access might be the best compromise.

Encrypt sensitive data

Encryption is one of the simplest ways to keep data secure. Modern encryption is incredibly difficult to crack, and you can automatically implement it for most of your files. Using enterprise digital rights management (EDRM) keeps sensitive data safe, both in transit and at rest. With robust encryption, even if a threat actor compromises a personal device, they won’t be able to make sense of any data they acquire.

Advanced technologies for monitoring data and access

If you want to monitor user behavior without directly controlling app installations, there are less invasive methods. Data loss prevention (DLP) tools track your organization’s data over time and let you know how employees are sharing that data, whether it’s via email, cloud apps, websites, or even physical drives. Similarly, user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) can track employee behavior over time, and flag any unusual access or sharing patterns. Either method could be a good window into whether employees are using their personal devices responsibly — or whether a threat actor has gained access to your systems.

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BYOD security best practices

Establish clear policies

Before employees can access organizational data on personal devices, they should have clear guidelines on how to do so. Emphasize the importance of updating apps and operating systems as soon as patches become available, and outline clear data handling policies for how employees can access, store, and share company data. Be sure to communicate the consequences of violating these policies, as well as the benefits of following them.

Educate employees

A well-informed employee can mitigate most of the cybersecurity threats that come their way, even on their personal devices. Take time to teach employees about common cybersecurity threats and how to deal with each one. Give them guidance on how to keep their devices updated, how often they should change their passwords, and how they can implement two-factor authentication (2FA) on their own accounts. This will help them safeguard their own data, as well as the organization’s.

Implement device security solutions

If your company issues smartphones or tablets, you may be familiar with mobile device management (MDM), which allows you to monitor and safeguard those corporate-owned devices. MDM has its limitations, however, particularly when dealing with employees’ personal devices. Instead, try to implement a comprehensive mobile security solution. Lookout offers a mobile security platform that gathers app, firmware, and OS metadata while keeping text messages, photos, and contacts completely private.

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Building a common-sense BYOD security policy 

BYOD programs are here to stay. Workers will use their personal devices as long as it’s convenient for them. As such, the best way to keep your data safe is to develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive BYOD security policy.

At the same time, personal devices are, above all else, personal. In your solution, employee privacy needs to be paramount. Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security provides the best of both worlds. Our comprehensive mobile security solution collects and contextualizes the data you need to identify and neutralize threats to your organization’s cybersecurity, protecting users from phishing, malware, device takeovers, and malicious network connections. Give your workers the access they need without taking away their flexibility or privacy. 

To learn more about protecting smartphones and tablets in your organization, check out our free e-book, The Mobile EDR Playbook: Key Questions for Protecting Your Data. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can organizations protect sensitive data in a BYOD device?

To protect sensitive data in a BYOD environment, organizations should develop and implement a BYOD security policy. A good policy should include best practices for:

• Accessing and storing data safely
• Encrypting files wherever possible
• Educating employees on cybersecurity basics
• Monitoring metadata on personal devices
• Balancing organizational security with individual privacy

What are the common pitfalls in BYOD security and how can you avoid them?

Inadequate employee training is at the root of most BYOD security issues. To avoid common mistakes, you should teach your employees to:

• Access, store, and share data responsibly
• Separate personal and business data
• Recognize a variety of cybersecurity threats
• Review and adhere to your organization’s BYOD policies

How often should BYOD security policies be reviewed and updated?

Since cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, you’ll need to update and review your BYOD policies regularly. There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how often this should be, but “every few months” is a good place to start. Update your policy to reflect the latest cybersecurity trends and risks, as well as any industry-specific compliance regulations.