BYOD (bring your own device) to work
By admin IT Support • 0 Comments

How to avoid common BYOD pitfalls

Remember the image of the corporate golfer with two phones clipped to his or her belt – one for business, one personal? Mercifully we don’t see this crime against fashion too often anymore… thanks partly to company BYOD policies.

The BYOD (bring your own device) movement has transformed the workplace, allowing employees to use their own devices for work purposes. Employees working in a BYOD-friendly company use their own smartphones, laptops or tablets to do their work, rather than using a company-issued device. BYOD can increase productivity and collaboration in the workplace, as individuals are already familiar with their own devices and can customise their use to their own needs. No learning curves with unfamiliar tech. No more playing ‘snake’ on the company Blackberry because that is the only program you can figure out!

It all sounds quite idyllic, but there are certainly challenges for businesses to overcome and pitfalls to avoid.

Common BYOD risks and challenges

The freedom and flexibility of BYOD for employees can come at a cost. Some of the biggest pitfalls when individuals start using their own devices at work include:

  • Security vulnerabilities – especially when we consider that the user is often the weakest link in endpoint security. One well-timed malware attack on one user device could instantly threaten the confidentiality of all of your sensitive business data.
  • Reduced privacy for both the employer and the employee.
  • Issues with data removal and retrieval – particularly when an employee leaves the company.
  • Compatibility and support concerns – will company systems and software work across various devices? And who will help if individuals have issues with their phones or tablets?

Avoid BYOD pitfalls with a strong BYOD policy.

If your business already has a BYOD program – without having an actual policy – or you’re looking to implement BYOD soon – read on.

Your BYOD policy should:

  • Explicitly define your BYOD expectations. This will include your device criteria, including compatibilities and maximum age; expectations around updates and security requirements; passcode guidelines and management; and a comprehensive privacy approach that considers both your company and your employees.
  • Be evergreen. Not updating your policy as your business and/or external factors change over time is as problematic as not having a policy at all. Review your policy regularly and keep it up to date.
  • Include data and cybersecurity training for all employees. Head over here to read up on how often cybersecurity awareness training should occur in the workplace.
  • Consider VoIP apps for business calls. Avoid the issue of giving customers access to employees’ personal numbers by using a business VoIP phone system. VoIP mobile apps allow employees to make and receive calls through a business number and include a range of other useful features.
  • Incorporate onboarding and offboarding processes. Outline what security measures must occur when an individual starts with your BYOD program. And ensure your exit procedures include specific details about data retrieval and removal.

Contact your Geelong IT experts if you need advice, devices or VoIP technology.

The team at Geelong Technology Group are big fans of BYOD programs – if they’re well implemented! We can help you explore solutions to ensure a secure BYOD policy and recommend tech tools to manage BYOD challenges. We can also assist with a tailored business-ready communications package that includes up-to-the-minute VoIP technology.

 

Oh, and if you’d prefer your company sticks with its HYOD (here’s your own device) program, we can assist with bulk-buy technology purchases too.

 

Give us a call or drop by our specialised service centre and showroom to chat in person:

☎️ 1300 GET GTG (1300 438 484)

📧 support@geelongtechnology.com.au

📍 166 Francis St, Belmont

new year new IT infrastructure
By admin IT Support 0 Comments

Assessing your IT infrastructure

New Year’s Resolutions: get fit, get healthy, and complete a Business IT infrastructure review!

A comprehensive review of your IT systems involves a strategic look at the effectiveness of your current technologies. It’s a chance to look for areas of optimization, streamline operations and to root out redundancies or inefficiencies. An IT infrastructure assessment can also scrutinize your business cybersecurity measures and identify possible security flaws.

The IT infrastructure assessment lowdown

An IT assessment will help your business:

  • ensure you have the right hardware, software and user access levels
  • stay on top of security – analysing your policies, technological safeguards, and employee training and behaviour.
  • Create a roadmap towards more agile and proactive operations.

Checklist to consider when reviewing your technology

Now that you’re aware of the benefits of a new-year IT infrastructure review let’s look at the areas you’ll need to assess.

Current state assessment

What is the state of your system right now? Are your employees working productively with what they have or experiencing a lot of downtime? Are your customer-facing systems up to scratch? Do your IT approaches match your company priorities? Are you meeting your regulation and compliance responsibilities? Do your technology policies reflect new conditions (working from home, for instance)?

Answering these questions will give you a baseline of what you want and need to accomplish. Don’t skimp on this step! Identifying your current processes, policies, and pain points will help you identify improvement opportunities.

Software and hardware assets inventory

This is where you get to the nitty-gritty. Take a detailed inventory of all the software and hardware in your business. Tally up hardware assets (desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, printers, servers, routers etc.) and software assets (operating systems and versions, business solutions, antivirus software etc.) to see what may need to be replaced, upgraded or removed.

Remember: outdated systems and applications can create holes in your technology security. The last thing you want is to skimp on upgrades, and then suffer a costly cyberattack down the line.

Data storage and disaster recovery plans

Your new-year IT infrastructure assessment should also consider your data storage and recovery practices. You should assess where and how you store critical data and how it is backed up. Audit your storage infrastructure to ensure the correct data is being stored on-site, off-site and/or in the cloud, and identify any changes that may need to be made.

Disaster recovery precautions and processes should also fall under this assessment. If disaster strikes (whether it be a cyber breach or a flooded office), do you have procedures at hand to deal with it?

User access and experience

Assessing user experience covers both internal and external parties. Survey your employees on their current technology use and satisfaction. What apps are kicking goals? What improvements would they like to see? Are there workflow inefficiencies that could be improved with technology? This assessment is also a chance to look at your onboarding practices, ongoing IT training, and where your staff are with their security knowledge. We don’t want to see anyone using the password, ‘pa$$w0rd’!

Don’t forget to look at the customer experience of your tech infrastructure, also. Is website navigation a problem? Are there wait times on your phone lines? Identifying these types of issues is the first step to solving customer-facing technology issues.

Need help? Contact Geelong’s IT assessment specialists.

An IT assessment is a robust way to improve the efficiency of your infrastructure. After all, if you make technology and upgrade decisions on the hop, they may not result in the best outcomes for your business in the longer term. Planning ahead allows you to budget for technology requirements and avoid unplanned expenses.

 

Of course, detailed technology and security assessments take time, and you may already be juggling multiple competing business demands. Don’t leave your new year’s technology review resolution by the wayside – we’re here to help!

 

The experienced team at Geelong Technology Group can thoroughly review your technology environment to give your business a roadmap for the new year. We service Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Colac, Warrnambool and beyond, so get in contact today!