Are personal devices putting your organisation at risk?

Does your organisation allow employees to 'bring your own device(s)' (BYOD)?

A few years ago, the trend shifted from strictly company-issued devices to allowing employees to BYOD.

The motivation was simply convenience. With a surge in smartphones and devices, it seemed an easier choice for organisations to just allow users to use their own devices rather than issuing company ones for all staff.

Since the pandemic, this trend is reversing, and the main reason is the security and control of company data.

Simply put, it just isn't possible to completely secure access to company data for employees using personal devices.

There are some conditional access policies we can enforce for M365 accounts, which is better than nothing, but still not enough security.

Therefore, we currently provide clients with recommendations on how users can improve security when accessing company information. Still, they are simply recommendations, and without having full control over those devices, you're putting the organisation at risk.

The issue for those organisations that have allowed BYOD, is the cost and project scale involved in replacing all personal devices with company-issued ones.

Microsoft has recently released Windows 365, which will deliver a full, personalised PC experience from the cloud to any device, giving workers and organisations power, simplicity and security for hybrid work.

Virtual cloud desktops are not a new thing for Microsoft. Azure Virtual Desktops (AVDs) have been around for years, but the configuration and costs have traditionally been quite complex, and therefore not offered by many IT providers.

AVDs are great when you have multiple users, as you can pool resources to save costs, and as you're charged by the minute, so they won't cost you once shut down.

Windows 365 differs in this respect, as they are a fixed cost per month per virtual desktop, regardless of how much it's used.

For us and our clients, these two solutions are the answer to the BYOD dilemma for remote or offshore teams using personal devices, or if your organisation has part-timers, casuals or contractors, where it's difficult to justify the cost of company-issued devices.

Does your organisation allow the use of personal computers or phones?