With the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe, the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend has become a necessity for many small and even large businesses in Australia. Having employees use their personal tablet devices, smartphones and laptops is a win-win situation for a business and its staff – but only if managed properly.

However, without having effective BYOD security solutions in place, businesses are exposed to a variety of potential and serious risks. Below will explain the main risks businesses can be exposed to if an efficient BYOD security solution is not put in place.

Downloading and installing malicious apps

All it can take to comprise an entire mobile device is to download just one unsecure mobile app. Once downloaded and installed, a malicious app can trick the user into giving away personal information and even take control over the entire device.

A prime example was in March this year when hackers took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hackers created and released a mobile app called ‘CovidLock’, which turned out to be devastating ransomware. Once installed and opened, it would encrypt important data on the device and lock users out of their phone unless they paid the hacker a certain amount of Bitcoins.

These types of malicious apps act as a trojan horse. For a business, this can result in crucial data, employee information and customer details being stolen, leaked or destroyed. In some cases, users may not even be aware that their mobile device is infected with malware. A large risk with BYOD is staff not updating the operating system on their smartphones, making them an easy target for malware, viruses and other digital threats.

Devices being incorrectly managed

Your entire IT infrastructure could be at serious risk if your employees are incorrectly managing their personal devices when using them for work purposes. Digital threats can come from anywhere. This can include staff members accidentally opening up harmful phishing emails, being connected to an unsecured network, not using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and more.

Unless you are working with an MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) that can implement an effective BYOD security solution, a digital attack could be right around the corner.

Private data being leaked

Using personal devices for work purposes leads to an increased risk of private company data being leaked. Whether it is unintentionally or intentionally, sensitive business data is at serious risk of being lost, stolen or leaked if a staff member has their mobile phone lost, stolen or infected with malware.

At Intellect IT, we can assist by implementing a BYOD security plan by suggesting and integrating software tools such as WEPs (Wired Equivalent Privacy), VPNs, cloud data storage, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and more.

To ensure that your crucial business data isn’t corrupted, stolen, lost or held ransom, reach out to our experienced team at Intellect IT. Call us on 1300 799 165 to discuss how we can assist your specific needs with a tailored BYOD security solution or explore our website to view our entire range of IT services today.