Managing New Technology in the Workplace: A Smart Device Strategy for SMEs

Chances are, you, your employees, and your coworkers will acquire smart devices, including watches, smartphones, and more. How will you keep them safe?

New devices, new risks

Rapid innovation in consumer product technology is now the norm. As prices fall, the number of users who can purchase innovative products increases. Great for users, no doubt, but perhaps not so great for organizations that will experience a corresponding increase in security threats from new endpoints.

For organizations, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, now is the time to plan and adapt to the season of new devices. Each additional device introduces security vulnerabilities; employees who may be excited about discovering the latest features likely won’t devote the same energy to considering their stance on security.

No matter where or what the device is, these risks need to be considered, including unsecured networks from which employees may be logging in and insufficient (or nonexistent) endpoint protection policies or software. Beyond security, there are other considerations to ensuring easy access for employees. Employees need to connect to both cloud and on-premises resources, and they want that connection to be simple and easy. IT teams have a responsibility to make that happen without additional friction, no matter what device an employee uses.

When it comes to the latest gadgets, employees will use them; IT needs visibility and participation in device strategy to best secure the organization. To achieve this, IT teams should take a “Yes, and” or “No, but” approach to collaborating with colleagues on new devices, platforms, and technologies. If done well, the result can be positive; one recent study on IT empowerment found a link between people who actively use consumer IT and higher levels of perceived performance, as well as a close link between IT empowerment and perceived innovative work behavior.

Build a collaborative approach to device management

Here are some tips to get started with a collaborative approach to device management to ensure new devices don’t compromise your organization’s security.

Set rules for employee devices

In BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments, it’s important to remember that BYOD involves two-way considerations. Employees (and all users of their devices) must follow policies and practices that protect both their devices and the resources connected to them. IT teams must adhere to parameters on employee-owned devices and not violate their privacy. A “Yes, and” or “No, but” approach to IT establishes mutual accountability and respect for each party’s interests.

To best protect boundaries and resources, develop an organization-wide BYOD policy that:

– Specifies approved devices and operating systems and provides flexibility to add others,

– Clearly defines what the organization can and cannot do with each device

– Clarifies what responsibilities each device user has regarding access to confidential systems and data.

– Sets parameters for sending documents and files to personal devices and

– Explains protocol for lost or stolen devices.

Use MDM

A mobile device management (MDM) system gives IT the ability to manage devices on the network centrally. There is a spectrum of features for MDM tools, but organizations that allow BYOD environments should look for those with optional enrollment policies to gain trust and maintain employee autonomy. For organization-owned devices, MDM policies may be more restrictive.

For employee-owned devices, the organization should have limited control, but the MDM system should be able to perform basic functions such as:

– Adding shortcuts to the home screen,

– Password requirement,

– Creating client configurations for policies, profiles and applications and

– Ability to remotely lock and wipe your device in the event of theft or blocking.

Leverage native biometrics for multi-factor authentication

Despite years of debate about the potential extinction of password-based systems, many organizations still rely on them to provide employees with appropriate access. A simple way to provide more robust security in your password environment is to add multi-factor authentication (MFA) via biometric readers built into new devices. Currently, standard devices are equipped with fingerprint readers on the screen, via the touchpad or on the back of the device. Many of them also have the ability to recognize faces. By leveraging existing tools on new devices, an IT organization can leverage consumer technology innovations and help employees become accustomed to better security practices.

For IT teams, resistance is futile. There are new gadgets that employees will soon use to access work resources. You can’t control device usage, but by establishing solid BYOD device usage processes and implementing tools that help your IT department easily manage devices, you can ensure that your organization’s security won’t be compromised.

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about the author

Tom Bridge is Principal Product Manager at Apple Technologies at JumpCloud. He is also the producer of the Mac Admins Podcast and co-chair and board member of the Mac Admins Foundation, whose mission is to foster connections, share and preserve knowledge, protect community independence, and maintain broad access to all community resources. Prior to joining JumpCloud, he was a partner at Technolutionary LLC, where he managed IT operations for over 15 years.