Lack of council BYOD policy puts data at risk

A freedom of information request has shown that the high number of local authorities without a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) expose themselves to the risk of data leaks.

Annodata, the Managed Services Provider who conducted the request, argue that without an enforceable plan in place, local authorities may be leaving themselves exposed to the risk of data leakage and any benefits to be had from BYOD will be lessened.

42 per cent of the 79 council districts queried do not have a BYOD policy in place, which, considering data security concerns in the public sector, means that control over who has access to an organisations data becomes more questionable.

Joe Doyle, marketing director at Annodata, said: “Any gains to be had from BYOD will be null and void if there is not a clear policy to accompany this. The risk of not giving BYOD appropriate consideration can result in companies being left exposed to an increased risk of data leakage, whilst also making it difficult to determine which devices are accessing which systems and data. Employees want to use their own devices and experience tells us that they will, with or without a standard. Having a BYOD policy grants organisations greater visibility and control over this.

“However, this is the ideal opportunity for council districts, and other public sector organisations, to revise their approach to existing IT polices and how data is managed. Doing so will minimise the risks associated with BYOD and will enable the real benefits, including increased productivity and efficiency, to be attained.”