A lot of people want to use their personal devices for professional work. But it’s not always possible as many businesses don’t support the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy or use Android work profiles which can lead to potential cyber threats and data loss.
There needs to be a proper balance between using a device for both personal and professional work. Today we’ll consider how businesses can make the appropriate use of an employee’s personal device and how you can prevent cyber threats.
Previously, companies gave smartphones to employees to enhance their remote work capability. However, handling two mobile phones can get challenging in terms of usability and convenience. A 2011 Pew Research Center survey shows that 35% of people in the U.S. own a smartphone. Comparatively, at present, this number has gone up to 81%.
Another survey shows that 70% of workers keep their phones “within eye contact” at the workplace. But surprisingly, only 59% of organizations allow their employees to use their mobile for just work purposes!
Both employees and employers do not want to compromise on their needs and concerns.
How to Separate Work Data from Personal Data
Not all businesses have enabled Android work profiles in their ecosystem. Android’s work profiles allow users to separate their work data from personal data. These profiles have separate storage areas for both types of data. However, these storage areas allow simultaneous running of applications, thereby compromising data security. Even though the work profile is secure, some workers are hesitant to create a profile. They also do not participate in BYOD programs.
How to Setup Work Profiles
While employee skepticism is unavoidable, setting up work profiles has immense benefits for your business. Work profiles can improve productivity and data security. Most work profiles can be set up through Google Mobile Management for Android. However, there are requirements to set up work profiles. You must have an Android 5.1 or a newer software version, and it must be in the category of whitelisted apps in the Play store. Once you meet these requirements, you can navigate to:
- Click on the Settings app.
- Go to Management > Devices > Search->Select devices
- Open a work profile installation wizard from Google Play.
- Click on Create managed Google account/work profile.
- Click Create to confirm.
To know more about setting up work profiles and maintaining IT security, reach out to Phoenix IT services company MyTek by giving us a ring at 623-312-2440.