BYOPC is really Bring Your Own Security Nightmare
BYOPC is really Bring Your Own Security Nightmare
Bring Your Own Security Nightmare
When I first heard about the bring your own pc (BYOPC) trend, my first thoughts were "those marketing guys will say anything." It seemed totally unreal that any IT manager would allow employees to bring in their home computers and connect to network resources.
Yes, it's true: if you make sure the configuration is according to policy, install encryption software, anti-virus, and whatever else in theory it really isn't terribly different from having employees take home their laptops from work. And in theory, it would be great for companies like Promisec who can detect unauthorized computers and software. Still, it just sounds to me like someone's idea of a cost-saving measure that will end up costing a lot more than it saves.
First of all, the help desk will end up swamped with software and hardware conflict issues. Organizations usually control the types of hardware in their organization now they will have no control Rather than 23 machine configurations, hundreds of configurations will need to be managed.
It's natural that as companies get increasingly excited about putting everything "in the cloud", it would seem irrelevant what endpoints are accessing this cloud. So why not let employees use any access point?
Fundamentally, the idea of everything in the cloud is also fantasy. No matter how much cloud computing we do, sometimes we simply aren't connected. Whether it's because we are in an airplane or because we are reserving battery power, we are always going to download files and software onto our computers. And whatever we download becomes a security risk.
But let's assume the best possible scenario. The IT department actually manages to enforce its policies on employees' personal computers, and the employees actually use their warrantee to get service, so it doesn't incur extra support costs. Or maybe the PCs never break down, because of course, if they do use the warrantee, the corporate policy software would still need to be re-installed.
Even in this idyllic scenario, what happens when an employee leaves? The employee isn't likely to let you wipe their hard drive. They might give you the opportunity to take off the VPN software, just because it slows down their computers and prevents them from viewing interesting web sites. On the other hand, they might not. In the best case, you have managed to prevent that employee from future access of your network, and deleted sensitive files, maybe even permanently. In the worst case, some day in the future, a disgruntled ex-employee has free access to your network.
In addition what happens to the licenses of the apps he has installed and uses. Now you need to manage also the licenses better and to make sure the employee will uninstall them so you reduce the payment for the different vendors.
At the risk of being proved wrong in the future, I predict this is a trend that simply won't ever have serious reach. As is, IT managers are struggling with endpoint management. It's a matter of time before policies and lock-downs are placed on mobile devices. Security officers and security concerns won't disappear, because security breaches are both real and costly. While BYOPC may continue to be used in some niche areas, it's simply not a practical solution for mainstream.
Here are a couple of articles about BYOPC:
Computer World: BYOPC could make sense for your IT shop
Computer World: Security Manager's Journal: BYOPC won't be a party for security
Computer World: Proctor & Gamble tries a bring your laptop to work program
Original Source
Advantages Of Wireless Security Alarm Systems Debunking Myths About Security Alarm Systems A Residential Locksmith Can Be A Good Security Consultant As Well A Colorado Security Guard Can Be an Asset or Ruin Your Day How To Pave YOur Way Through Financial Security Security Of IT World Gifts Roll Up 3 Question to Financial Security Access Control and Card Entry Security Systems Remove Security Master - How to manually Remove Security Master Remove Extreme Security 2010 - How to manually Remove Extreme Security 2010 Secure Document Shredding - Looking For Security Video Security Eliminates Five-Finger Discounts Storage Benches Provide You With Both Seating And Security