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security breaches. An unprotected personal laptop can be hazardous to the health of the entire network. The user and device may unknowingly fall prey to hacking and phishing attempts, cause data loss and even jeopardize network security. 4. Insecure Data Transfer Secure file transfer server is a common norm in most organizations, and it requires companies to enforce a certain level of encryption and access permission for transferring data over the corporate network. But, with BYOD giving way to so many personal devices, it’s possible that employees may resort to using consumer-grade file transfer protocol and tools to share and transfer data between enterprise systems and handheld devices, which in turn puts data at high risk of infiltration and theft. 5. BYOD Policy Not Up to Snuff It’s nothing less than a herculean task to impose IT security policies and guidelines for monitoring and securing employee devices both on and off the network facility—especially given the diversity of types of devices, their multitudinous settings, software compatibility and usage. With the expansion of more personal devices on the network, it becomes increasingly complex to detect and blacklist potentially harmful devices. Devising a BYOD policy is possible to a certain extent when the device usage is monitored and users are granted access permissions on a case-by-case basis. However, this type of protection will fail should a new device be introduced into the network by an employee or a visitor, or in the event of an upgrade or change of settings on the device. These instances would affect the policy at hand and require it to be revisited and likely revised. In reality, creating and instituting strong and foolproof BYOD policy is more of an evolutionary process, and there’s just no immediate solution for it. 6. Network Management Mayhem BYOD can turn into a network management nightmare when there are a myriad of devices connecting in and out of the network. Now, there are more IP-enabled devices to monitor, allow/deny, more IP addresses to manage, more IP conflicts to resolve, and more end-points to monitor network bandwidth usage. It is certainly possible to keep BYOD management under control when you have the right network tools and security solutions in place such as security information and event management. Though it may appear otherwise, the viewpoints expressed above are not discussed to present an unconvincing outlook on BYOD. BYOD is here to stay, and we just cannot shut it out. By assessing and understanding the security risks associated with BYOD, IT professionals can be more prepared and equipped to face challenges and security setbacks along the way. Do not restrain BYOD, just be ready to gear up, keep the reins tight, and play safe. About The Author Vinod Mohan is a senior product marketing specialist at SolarWinds, an IT management software provider based in Austin, Texas. + % %! ! & , ! . !( %+ ' "! "#+% ' - + % !& , ! % '& % & %) *"% *