Why do companies want to move away from providing their users with cell phones and rather give them allowances, effectively deploying a BYOD (bring your own device) model?
We have been working in the industry for many years, and we have determined that there are two main reasons:
- Effort. The hassle involved in managing the devices and contracts.
- Perceived Cost. Managing the bill fluctuations and paying for everything.
…but are the above reasons good enough to make the change?
Certainly, there are pro’s and con’s to both models. However, it is important to consider the risks of BYOD models before deploying them to ensure a well thought strategy is implemented. A quick Google search will show the risks raised with BYOD models, here are three links to check (if you feel so inclined):
- https://www.m-files.com/blog/top-7-risks-involved-bring-device-byod/
- https://www.cimcor.com/blog/7-scariest-byod-security-risks-how-to-mitigate
- https://www.techadvisory.org/2018/08/what-are-the-risks-of-byod/
It is possible that the above considerations are the reason why we have started seeing a shift in the market place where companies that have moved to BYOD cell phone models are changing back to providing company phones.
BYOD Cell/Mobile Phone Model Risks
We feel these are the top 3 risks associated to BYOD cell/mobile phone models
- Security
- Applications, policies, malware, access to data
- Lost or stolen phones, will not be able to wipe data from phone
- Unable to investigate any incidences of fraud
- Administrative
- Increased workload on the department that has to process allowances, if the employees are having to submit claims
- Will need to implement HR policies to make devices as safe as possible
- Financial
- Can no longer claim back VAT
- Will have to plan for BYOD security platforms to make devices as safe as possible
