Identifying the difficulties of BYOD programs

Consumerization is growing in popularity, as more companies are allowing employees to bring their personally owned smartphones and tablets to work under a bring-your-own-device mobility program. Still, data security concerns and other challenges persist, as IT departments worry about storing company information on devices they don't own.

A recent report from GovInfoSecurity identified several of the most common and serious concerns brought on by the BYOD model for supporting smartphones and tablets.

Foremost is the difficulty companies have in enforcing their mobile device management policies. Each company that has launched a mobility program has more than likely also drafted a policy for support, appropriate use and governance it will exert over devices.

However, it's not easy to ensure a policy is being followed when a company has no real power over an employee's smartphone or tablet. What's more, under BYOD, devices could flood into the workplace and some IT departments may not be prepared for an influx in support calls that may be received, according to the news provider.

Even if the IT department does have the resources to support all personally-owned devices, doing so can present a "nightmarish scenario," GovInfoSecurity warned. The chances are good that all kinds of devices will be brought to work by employees, including iPhones, Android-powered smartphones and tablets and maybe even the old standby, BlackBerry.

The IT department will have to be knowledgeable about all mobile platforms in order to provide the level of support employees will require.

Next, companies leveraging BYOD have to think about protecting the data stored on personally owned devices. That includes safeguarding it from both theft and malware.

According to GovInfoSecurity, there may be no foolproof method for ensuring a device isn't lost or stolen. But through the proper MDM and data security measures, the IT department can ensure that encryption is utilized on all devices accessing enterprise information and that remote wipe capabilities are used.

In terms of malware attacks, the report said companies should ensure that all devices used to access the business' data, network and apps should have some form of security application downloaded and installed.

Consumerization and BYOD are no longer as rare as some companies may think. Earlier this month, global computing giant IBM announced that it has plans to support some 200,000 employee-owned devices by the end of next year, CIO Magazine reported.