Using BYOD Templates to Inspire and Create Your Own BYOD Policy

Due to the increase of IT use, user-owned devices have become more popular for business purposes, forcing significant changes within organizations. Nowadays, organizations who embrace the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend must also embrace BYOD policies as well.

What is your Ottawa business doing to protect your valuable corporate information on personally-owned smart phones, tablets or home computers?

With the ability to use their own device, employees are able to be more productive, regardless of the time and location. However, this can cause many concerns for the IT team because of the complexities involved with allowing user-owned devices to connect to the corporate network.

BYOD policies should be unique to the industry and organization. When drafting a BYOD policy, some organizations are tempted to copy and paste from a template found online. However, BYOD policies should never be the exact same as an ordinary BYOD template.

While you shouldn’t simply copy and paste an entire template, you can always use a template to begin the discussion and development process of your BYOD policy. For example, The White House has an extensive BYOD toolkit available to support federal agencies implementing a BYOD program.

For a more general BYOD policy guide, Zenprise has created a template for organizations as well. While you’ll need to input some information to Zenprise in order to download the policy template, it will be well-worth your time.

Creating Your BYOD Policy

Once you’ve learned some valuable information from various BYOD policy templates, it’s time to get started on the process of creating your BYOD policy. Here’s an overview on how to develop your first BYOD policy:

1. Assemble a project team compiled of major departments; especially IT, finance, security and legal departments. Include some form of representation from your end user community as well.
2. Assign BYOD policy research to select members of the team, and direct them to the templates above.
3. Ask the selected members to deliver their research findings to the BYOD policy team.
4. Protect your corporate technology infrastructure by breaking down the internal considerations for a BYOD policy, use a document or white board and discuss all of the concerns.
5. Pass those concerns and considerations on for internal review as well.
6. Create an outline for your BYOD policy, based on the research and internal considerations.
7. Develop a rough draft of your BYOD policy for internal review.
8. Use feedback from stakeholders such as executive management, IT security and legal departments for revision of the document.
9. Allow user comments on the revised version, and finalize your BYOD policy with those comments.
10. Publish the BYOD policy for distribution among your organization.

Managing Your BYOD Policy

Stay informed about other businesses in your industry. What kind of approach are they using for BYOD policy? Review templates and industry studies on a regular basis, and update your BYOD policy when necessary. Industry changes to BYOD policy might show it’s time for your organization to review your own policy using internal feedback. If you need to revise and publish a new version, don’t hesitate to do so.

What can you do?

Contact Fuelled Networks today and speak with our BYOD consultants about implementing a policy to protect your business data.  Our team is here to help you.  We are your Ottawa IT professionals and we can help you.  Call us at (613) 828-1384 or email us at info@fuellednetworks.com.