Hot topics this decade include breaking the internet, viral videos, and
BYOD (bring your own device). The BYOD trend began when senior executives
became “app-happy” with the rise of smartphones and tablets, Acohido says in
his 2013 article about security, and continues as concerns are addressed using
MDM (mobile device management). Executives
argued that to increase productivity, they needed more access to work items
during non-work hours. (Let’s be frank though, executives don’t have many
non-work hours, do they? I think the lines are kind of blurred for them.) IT
departments argued that using a personal device for work couldn’t compromise company
interests, and so they had to figure how to make the guys who sign their paychecks
happy while fulfilling their obligations. San Diego County Library has built and
developed their policies into a solution which gives employees flexibility
while maintaining security.
The county has a BYOD policy in place for employees, but it
varies based on the type of employee. For example, library techs have use of an
exclusive employee network which they can connect to from their smartphones and
tables. They have apps for email, and are allowed off-network access via their
login to their company email. This security layer of a private network is one
example of a solution to the concerns personal devices present. Also, using logins
for off-network access from a personal device has been a standard procedure for
many years before handhelds.
However, when an employee gets to upper management, the
policy changes slightly. They are allowed access to download more apps than
techs, based on their job duties and responsibilities. In this way of
restricting mobile downloads based on the employee’s status, the library is
able to give access to just those employees who need it and maintain security.
At the highest levels of management, the policy restricts
access to certain systems from personal devices, and only county-issued devices
are allowable for access to certain mobile apps. This compromise allows upper
management the flexibility of mobile computing but maintains sensitive data in
a secure container. For example, the payroll app for timecard approvals can be
done on a mobile device, but it must be a county-issues mobile device.
According to Storey’s doctoral dissertation, “Organizations
that support CIT [consumer information technology] in the workplace should have
a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy designed to (a) safeguard the employee’s
mobile device, (b) safeguard the organization’s network and data assets, and
(c) stipulate a code of conduct for the employee to follow as a condition to
use their own device at work.” The San Diego County Library has done an
excellent job on all three points.
The
San Diego County Library is not affiliated with this blog and has neither
endorsed nor denied its contents.
References
Acohido, B. (2013, January 8). Using personal devices at work gets more
secure. USA Today, p. 01B. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/apps/doc/A314276156/OVIC?u=cclc_palomar&sid=OVIC&xid=0376f957
Meyer, E. (2018). Interview with Vanessa Perez, Assistant Branch
Manager, SDCL. [Oral interview].
Storey, G. S. (2017). An empirical analysis of bring-your-own-device
(BYOD) policy adoption in organizations (Order No. 10265019). ProQuest
Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/docview/1886088909?accountid=35685
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