Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy Analysis for Vodafone

This report analyzes Vodafone's Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, examining its implications for the company. It defines BYOD and highlights the factors for successful implementation, such as specifying permitted devices and establishing clear data ownership and stringent security policies. The report then delves into the challenges of BYOD, including risks related to data breaches, confidentiality, and the integration of personal devices with office IT services. It discusses the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information, the difficulties in monitoring numerous personal devices, and the impact on IT infrastructure and employee privacy. The report also touches upon the need for mobile device management (MDM) and other security measures to mitigate these risks. Finally, the report concludes with a discussion of reimbursement issues and potential connectivity problems, emphasizing the complexities that arise when personal gadgets are synchronized with IT services.

VODAFONE
Vodafone BYOT
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Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy for the employees in an organisation which states to
bring your devices own personal devices such as personal computer (BYOPC) or your own
technology (BYOT) or personal phone (BYOC) to office, allowing employees freely using its
own personal gadgets & integrating it with the office IT services (Bamber, 2010). It also
includes permission to use personally owned devices such as laptops, tablets, and
smartphones in the office space. New terminology is coined for this IT consumerization.
For the successful implementation following factors can be kept in minds:
Specify What Devices Are Permitted-: Gadgets such as iPad’s, iPhone’s blackberry devices
etc. should be approved & clear by signing a contract in between the employees & office.
Make It Clear Who Owns What Apps and Data-: Some of the data or apps loaded may result
in the additional welcoming of malicious or virus contents & may result in unwarranted
breaches. Hence specifically who owns which data should be clearly defined.
Establish a Stringent Security Policy for all Devices-: IT Security needs to adhere at every
stages & obediently following rules & procedures should be followed strictly.
Challenges of BYOD to IT network
Allowing employees to use personal gadgets & allowing it get it integrated with the office IT
services there can be important risks such as using the office related business information
which can result in stealing of business information & selling it to the competitor's group
(Steinherr, 2000).

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Producing a replica or generating duplicate business information can lead to a breach of
confidentiality & information infringement (Finger, 2013). Hence it’s imperative to have
security checks at each level & firewalls to keep such breach at bay.
Though BYOD, risky & sensitive information can be used by the third party unknown
sources & pirate it.
BYOD can lead to data breaches since an employee can still exit without returning personal
gadgets or uninstalling it.
Family can access to such sensitive information due to BYOD & can lead to leaks or
unlawful sharing.
If BYOD is allowed to let employees use personal gadgets with Office IT services then as a
security measure IT Security should be allowed to weekly check such gadgets for any undue
disadvantages & violations done.
Due to the personal gadgets getting connected with the office IT services incase if gadgets do
not have an appropriate software which check malicious or virus contents it may result in
hampering of entire intranet computers.
Hence to deal with the BYOD several measures have been taken to combat it in the form of
mobile device management (MDM), app virtualization etc. (Soederberg, 2005). All this may
lead to a breach of confidentiality clauses, employee’s privacy & resistance in the workforce.
For example in the personal phone configuration with the IT services will result in lost
ownership identification of employees be it number wise or installing of security software
hampering data contents (Crane, 2010). Additionally, if such employees leave the company
particularly in the sales or marketing department it may result in loss of crucial office data.

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It is difficult to keep a tab on the large consumer’s personal gadgets getting checked for
breaches, privacy etc. & may result in company spending large amount & invest in the
security inventory getting hired to safeguard IT services (Kirton, 2001).
During the large traffic usage in the office, IT services it will be difficult to handle speed &
connectivity issues. Finally related to reimbursement issues it will lead to confusions personal
gadgets are synchronised with IT services.

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References:
Bamber, G.J., Lansbury, R.D. and Wailes, N., 2010. International and comparative
employment relations: globalisation and change. Allen & Unwin.
Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2010. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalisation. Aufl., New York.
Finger, M. and Lobina, E., 2013. Managing globalisation in public utilities: public service
transnational corporations and the case of the global water industry. IDHEAP: UER:
Management des entreprises publiques.
Kirton, J.J. and Von Furstenberg, G.M. eds., 2001. New directions in global economic
governance: managing globalisation in the twenty-first century. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Soederberg, S., 2005. Contesting global governance in the South: debt, class, and the new
common sense in managing globalisation.
Steinherr, A., 2000. Derivatives the wild beast of finance: a path to effective globalisation.
Wiley.