Private device management: adapting your BYOD policies

Did you know that over 7.3 million people are likely to participate in the gig economy in 2022? That marks a substantial rise from 2019, where only 4.5 million people worked gig jobs.

Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic is partially to blame. Many workers found themselves furloughed or made redundant and therefore looked to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.

However, while the gig economy has its many benefits for workers, it does pose a risk for your business's IT security. Particularly in regards to device management.

Let's explore the topic further. We'll look at what these risks are, and how you can overcome them.

Avoid the risks of unsecured 'gig' devices

Let's say you apply a BYOD policy to your full-time workers' devices. That'll go a long way to secure your sensitive data and reduce the likelihood of a breach.

But this just won't cut it for your gig workers.

People who work multiple jobs from home often use the same personal device, which complicates matters. You can't have conflicting BYOD policies from Company A, Company B and Company C all on one device. For instance, if Company A restricted a contract worker from downloading files onto their laptop C drive, that policy will translate to the other two companies too.

The risks go beyond conflicting policies, however:

• As a general rule, you should not mix corporate (or personal) data together. That's just asking for a regulatory slip-up.
• If a device isn't controlled properly, your corporate data could be hacked and shared with unauthorised third parties.

All of these risks lead down the dark winding path of non-compliance. And we're positive you'd rather avoid the risk of reputational damage and hefty regulatory fines.

So, how can you support your gig workers and ensure complete data security?

Segment workplaces with a virtual desktop

With a third of UK businesses losing customers over data breaches, it's never been more important to secure your applications and data.

That means adapting your private device management policies for the new influx of gig workers.

With a virtual desktop, such as Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), you can foster a more controlled environment, all while maintaining the flexibility of BYOD. Contract employees can access a designated, secure virtual workspace and complete their tasks without having to download any sensitive data onto their personal devices.

In addition to this, a virtualised environment will allow you to:

• Enable multi-factor authentication for all users.
• Set-up conditional access, which allows you to grant access to authorised users only.
• Track user activity through audit logs.

From there, you can also facilitate further security precautions such as endpoint protection, automated disconnection policies, and screen lock for idle sessions.

Work smarter, not harder

In today's post-Covid landscape, you need to cater your BYOD policies to an ever-changing workforce.

It's no longer enough for your device management policy to cover full-time staff alone. Your security efforts should account for the IT risks involved with the use of freelancers, too. Most often, this will involve improper data handling, and multiple companies imposing overlapping security policies.

That's where Azure Virtual Desktop comes in. It's a scalable, high-performance solution that offers a protected virtual workspace for your contract workers. Its biggest selling point? The knowledge that your data is protected and your contractors are working productively.

Want to find out more about AVD? Have a chat with us.