Over the past 10 years or so, work has become increasingly mobile. Thanks to advancements in mobile internet speeds and high-definition video and telecommunications technologies, we are no longer chained to our desks in order to complete our work. Employees can split their time between the office and home, and work on projects on the go. As these technological advancements have allowed businesses to become more flexible, they have also created a major potential for data theft and unauthorized access to a company’s network by way of stolen device.
Why You Need to Encrypt Your Mobile Workforce and How to Do It:
Multiple Devices = Multiple Points of Entry
Although many companies still sit employees at desks with desktop workstations, many employees work off of laptops that they move between home and work. Laptops hold a lot of key information including files, sensitive data, company contacts, and the licensing for business applications that are locally installed. Tablets and smartphones are even more portable than laptops and are often used for more than just business purposes. It is very easy for someone to swipe a smartphone out of an employee’s hand or to steal a tablet sticking out of someone’s computer bag.
Data can also be compromised due to human error. Misplacing or leaving a tablet or a laptop behind (especially while traveling either on public transit or by plane) means leaving a device out in the open for anyone to access. Without proper encryption, business data can easily be leaked by whoever stumbles across the lost device.
Having a Strong BYOD Policy in Place
A big part of encrypting your mobile workforce involves having a robust Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. A company may spend IT funds to make sure each employee has a laptop, but employees will usually conduct company-related business on their own personal smartphones and tablets. In order to make sure that these devices are secured, a BYOD policy needs to state that any personal device used to access company data (even if it is just email) needs to be set up by the IT department (or a company’s IT service provider). This way, all personal portable electronic devices have data encryption enabled – so if a laptop or a phone does get lost or stolen, company information remains safe.
Ways to Encrypt Devices
There are multiple options for encrypting devices such as laptops and tablets. One of the easiest ways to encrypt a mobile workforce is to roll-out Microsoft Office 365 company-wide. With Office 365, any data created or stored on its applications such as Word, Exchange (Email), and OneDrive (cloud file storage) are all encrypted by default. An added bonus to this is Office 365 comes with mobile data wipe options. This means that if a device were lost or stolen, a system administrator can remotely wipe company data off of the device. So even if someone did manage to get his hands on a device, sensitive business data can be erased form the device, protecting a company’s assets.
As there are so many different options for encrypting your workforce, it may seem like a daunting task finding the right solution. Roan Solutions can help you make that decision. Give us a call today!
