bring your own device

Benefits and Disadvantages of BYOD

Russell W. Gilmore, CISSP, CISM, EnCE Security Program Development


people textingWhat is BYOD?

BYOD is an acronym for “Bring Your Own Device.” It refers to the practice of employees using a personal device for work.

With BYOD, a single individual has the capacity to affect himself, those close to him, the company, and potentially millions of other people. One unsecured device can harm millions of individuals and organizations who may become unsuspecting and unwilling participants. These “collateral damage” participants often have no say in how these risks are managed.

Read more about the BYOD Wild West

Benefits of BYOD

  • Employees might become more productive since they stay connected to the company.
  • Employees no longer needs to be in the company’s office in order to work.
  • The company lowers its expenses by reducing hardware purchases.
  • The “freedom” of BYOD can increase employee morale.

Disadvantages of BYOD

  • Employees may not have effective antivirus software, firewalls, or other specialized security software installed on their devices.
  • Devices used by employees are vulnerable to theft, loss, or damage.
  • Employees often work at outside Wi-Fi locations that are not secure and are vulnerable to attack by others.
  • Employees may not allow the company access to their personal device for security reasons since wiping an employee’s personal device may erase all information on the device, both business and personal.
  • Some employees may be using certain software systems that are not compatible.
  • The employee uses his or her device for personal reasons while on company time, decreasing productivity.
  • Employees can take pictures or videos of information that may be proprietary to the company, whether or not the device is connected to the company network.

Protus3 can help you. We’ve been partnering with companies like yours to develop appropriate security controls for more than 30 years. If you have assets, you have a security problem. Your prosperity depends on how you protect the assets that are critical to your organization.

Contact us for additional information


Plan. Protect. Prosper.

Protus3 specializes in security system design, security consulting, corporate investigations and other investigative services. Partner with Protus3 and we will examine each situation to identify threats and develop solutions for your best outcome.

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