Pros and Cons of Bring Your Own Device

Case Study #1

Pros and Cons of BYOD

Corey Stafford

CIS 333- Networking Security Fundamentals

Prof. Robert Whale

April 27, 2014

The concept of bring your own device or BYOD is a growing trend for business IT. There are a

variety of benefits to allowing users to supply their own PCs and mobile devices, but there are also 

some concerns. Companies must make sure you they understand both in order to embrace BYOD

with confidence and not leave vulnerabilities to their companies’ assets.

It used to be that IT departments rove technology, but that has changed dramatically in recent years. The consumerization of the IT revolution sparked by the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy market has shifted the IT culture so that the users are the ones getting the latest, cutting edge technologies first, and they want to bring those devices to work. Let users bring their own device, but consider the potential issues as well. Businesses that embrace BYOD have some advantages over competitors. For starters, BYOD programs generally shift costs to the user. With the worker paying for most, or all of the costs for the hardware, voice or data services, and other associated expenses, companies save a lot of money, as much as $80 per month per user.

You might expect users to have discrepancies with paying for the devices and technology they use at work. Not so. As the Good Technology State of BYOD report states, “50 percent of companies with BYOD models are requiring employees to cover all costs and they are happy to do so.”

50 percent of companies supporting BYOD require that all costs be covered by employees who are more than willing to take their employers up on the offer! The other 50 percent provide a mix of options to their employees, such as a stipend or “expense back” options to help subsidize the cost of their mobile device or service plan ("Good News: Good Technology’s 2nd Annual S... | Good Community", 2013).That brings us to the second significant benefit:...