Skip to the main content.

2 min read

How the BYOD trend has changed the cybersecurity landscape

How the BYOD trend has changed the cybersecurity landscape

One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in the last two years, as organizations have adjusted to a remote way of doing business, is that workers have taken workplace modernization into their own hands. It used to be that corporate IT leaders procured devices for their teams, then deployed them and managed them on a daily basis; that’s not so much the case anymore. The new paradigm is largely one of “bring your own device,” or BYOD.

Millions of workers began working from home when COVID-19 began – and in 2022 and beyond, many of them are sticking with it. The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) estimates that over 50% of employees will work from home at least two days a week moving forward. When employees work remotely, they tend to use a wide range of personal devices – and that means a host of potential endpoints for hackers to take advantage of.

“You cannot do all your organization’s functions securely with just BYOD, no matter how well your solution may be configured,” the NCSC cautioned in a recent report. “If you’ve given BYOD users admin access to company resources, revoke that access immediately.”

Part of the challenge here is balancing quick fixes with long-term solutions. When COVID-19 first began, companies were scrambling to find any possible way to keep their employees productive, despite a major disruption. As such, they made some sacrifices with security, allowing people to use their own devices when necessary. Now, though, we’re two years in. That means organizations need to find stable device management strategies that will support their users – and keep them secure – for the long haul.

At Zones, we believe that strategy should be centered around mobile device management (MDM). A good MDM policy includes ground rules for everything – what devices your employees use, what they can with each device, what parts of your network they can access, what files they can share. The goal is to ensure that every employee can be productive and add meaningfully to the company’s bottom line, but ensure security for the organization at the same time.

With all of that and more, the Zones team is here to help. We offer a Remote Worker Solution that includes a robust MDM offering – and what’s more, we have a close partnership with Cisco, which produces a wide range of IT security offerings to help your business manage mobile users effectively.

Why bother with a messy, overcomplicated web of security solutions? Thanks to Cisco Meraki, you don’t have to – Meraki simplifies security across every layer of your network.

To learn more, connect with us. We would be happy to get you set up with all the Cisco solutions your organization needs to survive and thrive.

Learn more »

Unlocking the Potential of Network Virtualization

Unlocking the Potential of Network Virtualization

Organizations are continuously seeking innovative solutions to gain a competitive edge. The pressure to compete with larger enterprises and meet...

Read More
Beyond IT Support: Zones, Apple, and OMNIA Partners' Vision for Tomorrow

Beyond IT Support: Zones, Apple, and OMNIA Partners' Vision for Tomorrow

OMNIA Partners Overview OMNIA Partners is recognized as a leading force in the procurement solutions sector, offering a comprehensive range of...

Read More
The Future Is AI: Steering Enterprises Toward a Smarter Tomorrow

The Future Is AI: Steering Enterprises Toward a Smarter Tomorrow

The Revolutionary Impact of AI on Enterprise The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) marks a significant shift in the technological...

Read More