Why the “White List” Approach to BYO Devices is the Way to Go

In a previous post I talked about the benefits and drawbacks of the BYO device trend. As I mentioned, one of the major downsides of allowing devices into your organization is the security risk. So when IT wants to exert more control and management over these devices, taking a “white list” approach is often the answer.

White Listing Raises the Stakes
Limiting your employees to a white listed (IT approved) set of BYO devices raises the stakes for both IT and the employee.

• IT expects to be more in control. If you permit corporate information to be stored on the devices, you’ll need to be able to protect it – including having the ability to erase it or make it inaccessible if the device is lost or stolen.



• Costs will unfortunately go up, because IT needs to have the software to manage and protect the BYO devices.



• For their part, when employees are restricted to a particular set of devices, they expect to get more from IT in exchange.

What Devices Should You Include?
Your white list should include those devices whose operating systems have achieved large-scale market adoption. Why? Because finding software to manage non “mainstream” devices is just too difficult. The obvious devices for IT to work with are:

• Windows PCs



• Macintoshes



• iPhones



• iPads



• Droid devices



• Blackberry supported devices

A Number of Software Tools are Available
If you’ve limited your white list to the devices listed above, a number of software tools are available to help with device management and security. Blackberry has very good tools. Good Technology, Mobile Iron and Credant are all worth a close look as well.

Conclusion
Taking a white list approach to BYO devices gives you the best of both worlds. Employees get to use the devices they love, while IT can manage the security risks and provide some level of support. Do you agree with my position? Leave a comment!