The document discusses the "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) trend in workplaces. It notes that a Juniper Research report found the number of employees using personal devices for work will double to 350 million by 2014. While BYOD increases productivity, it also raises security concerns. A survey found over half of employees in their 20s felt BYOD was a right, and one-third would violate company policies. Additionally, a Dimensional Research survey found 65% of IT managers allow personal devices on networks, and 47% said customer data is transferred this way, raising security issues. As personal devices become more common in workplaces, all organizations will need to revise security policies to address the challenges of BYOD.

1. The Impact of the “Bring Your Own Device”
(BYOD) Trend in the Workplace
By Paul Van Essche

2. •Mobile research, analysis, and forecasting provider Juniper Research
recently reported that the present trend of employees bringing personal
mobile devices to the workplace is anticipated to double to 350 million
users by 2014.
While this trend towards corporate tolerance of worker resources carries
productivity benefits, it also creates a number of security concerns.

3. •At the forefront of this trend is a generation of young knowledge
workers who expect corporate policies that allow them to bring personal
devices to work, and have these devices interact with corporate systems,
for both professional and personal use.
In a surprising global survey by Fortinet, over half of 3,000 employees in
their 20s felt that BYOD was more of a right than a privilege.
Furthermore, one-third indicated a willingness to violate any company
policies that constrain their use of personal devices in the workplace.

4. •In their recent Insurance Journal article “Mobile Device Explosion in the
Workplace Creates Need for Heightened Security,” co-authors Kathleen
Ellis and Ken Goldstein cited a Dimensional Research survey of
information technology professionals.
Leading IT managers indicated that 65 percent permitted personal device
connections to their enterprise networks.

5. •Of those, 47 percent indicated that customer data was transferred via
employee-owned devices, and 71 percent felt such personal devices
contributed to security issues.
While the BYOD trend is more prominent in the private than public
sector, it will nonetheless require all organizations to study and revise
security management policies as personal devices become ubiquitous in
the workplace.

6. •About the Author:
At the helm of van Essche & Associates, Paul Van Essche is a broadly
experienced business consultant in areas including information
technology, finance, and change management, among others.
For more information about Mr. Van Essche, visit his website at
www.vanessche.com.
www.vanessche.com