A new study suggests some business owners may be jeopardizing the privacy of their company's corporate information by allowing their workers to access highly sensitive data.
The survey, which was conducted by research firm B2B International, found that nearly one in every three business owners has no restrictions on allowing their workers to obtain information about their company by using one of their own personal devices, such as a smartphone or data recorder.
However, because many hacking attempts have been perpetrated using these formats, experts say business owners may want to reconsider.
David Emm, senior security researcher for business firm Kaspersky Lab – the company for which B2B conducted the study – said that business owners are often conflicted about whether they should permit the use of smartphones while at work.
"Allowing employees the opportunity to use their own devices in the workplace can lead to enhanced productivity and creativity, but can also bring increased risk," said Emm. "Rather than applying a blanket ban on the use of personal devices, businesses should look to manage and secure the use of these devices, enabling them to reap the benefits of [bring your own device policies] without the security worry."
Whatever business owners decide, they should be sure to update their HR compliance policies so that the employees are aware of what's expected of them.
