Revamp Mobile Policy To Secure The Cloud

There are benefits to allowing workers to bring their own devices and connect them to the corporate network, but businesses must take action to counter the risks user-owned devices can bring.

While more than eight out of 10 IT managers believe that a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy boosts productivity, more than 60 percent say employees connecting out to cloud services is a risk, according to a survey conducted by telecommunications and consulting firm BT.

"Organizations have to be aware of where their data is now -- in order to control access to it and protect it," says Jeff Schmidt, global head of business continuity, security, and governance at BT Global Services. "CIOs need to have a strategy for how they deal with data at rest and data in motion."

Cloud and the BYOD movement are two trends that are converging to create security problems for companies. Consumer technology could play host to malicious software, which could come from a cloud service or social network, allowing it to enter a business' network unhindered. Devices could also allow an insider to easily exfiltrate data.

"BYOD is a good trend, but there is a negative from a security perspective," says Michael Sutton, vice president of security research for Zscaler. "Where I see most companies migrating to is that they need some degree of control."

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