Employees are increasingly bringing their technology from home to use during the workday as the computing power and popularity of such devices, namely of the mobile variety, continues to grow.
According to a recent report from ITworld, companies must prepare their data centers for the rise of IT consumerization with a keen eye on security measures. While many of the smartphones and tablets now in use by employees may not be directly owned by the organization, the data accessed by and stored on them remains its responsibility.
The IT department should ensure that proper data security measures are in place to protect their information, according to the report.
"Security and management tools and systems will need to be included in the overhaul," Beth Bacheldor wrote for the news provider, concerning companies' shift to support consumerization.
When employees are using devices that are not provisioned by the IT departments, the company can't help but feel a slight loss of control. Because the smartphone or tablet is owned and was purchased by the employee, the company has no real way of knowing what types of data security measures or capabilities the device contains.
Beyond the volume of personally owned devices now present at many companies, consumer technology has also proven to be highly beneficial. Earlier this year, a CIO Magazine report highlighted several reasons why companies should embrace consumerization rather than try to stem its growth.
For one, personally owned devices are working to blur the lines between home and office, making employees more productive because they are using a device with which they feel comfortable. Furthermore, flexible work arrangements will attract more talented employees, CIO stated.
Still, companies will have to devise a strategy for protecting confidential data because the spread of consumerization does not appear to be slowing down any time soon.
"I mean, loads of folks are doing business on their personal smartphones and tablets," Bacheldor wrote for ITworld.
When exploring ways to promote data security for mobile devices, a group of experts who were supported by the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation said that companies should focus on the data itself, rather than securing the device, according to CSO Magazine. Prioritizing the actual information will give a company a better idea of its movement and use by mobile employees, thus opening the door for more specific and targeted data protection measures.
Consumerization News from SimplySecurity.com by Trend Micro
