Bring Your Own Device: Convenient, But At What Cost?
Written By: Frank Saulsbery
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A SNEAK PEEK…
“If something went wrong tomorrow, would I feel confident that I know where my business data is, who has access to it, and how it’s being protected?
If the answer is “I think so” or “probably,” it might be worth taking a closer look.”
Bring Your Own Device: Convenient, But At What Cost?
“Why don’t we just let everyone use their own laptops?”
“Most of the team already has a good computer at home.”
“It’ll save us a lot of money right now.”
And on the surface, it feels like a smart move. You avoid a big upfront expense, your team is already comfortable with their own devices, and everything gets up and running quickly.
Then a few months go by… and little things start popping up.
Someone can’t access a file because it’s on a personal device.
Another employee leaves, and you realize company data is still sitting on their laptop.
IT support becomes a guessing game because every device is different.
And now the “simple” solution doesn’t feel so simple anymore.
If you’re feeling a little uneasy about this setup, you’re not wrong. A lot of business owners end up here at some point, especially when they’re trying to be cost-conscious and flexible. There’s nothing careless about it. It’s just one of those decisions that has more complexity hiding under the surface.
The reality is this.
When employees use their own personal devices for business, you don’t really control those devices. And that creates a handful of risks that aren’t always obvious at first.
For one, there’s the question of compliance. Depending on your industry, you may have rules around how business data is stored, accessed, and protected. If that information is sitting on a personal laptop or phone, you may already be outside those guidelines without even realizing it.
Then there’s ownership of the data. It sounds simple until you think it through. If a file is saved on someone’s personal computer, do you have the right to access it if needed? What happens if they leave suddenly? Or if there’s a dispute? Those conversations can get uncomfortable quickly, and they’re not the ones you want to be having during a stressful moment.
The bigger issue, though, is security. A personal device lives a very different life than a business device.
During the day, it’s used for emails, spreadsheets, and company systems.
At night, it might be used for gaming, downloading apps, or just general internet browsing.
There’s nothing wrong with that in a personal setting. But from a business standpoint, it creates exposure. You don’t know what’s being installed, what websites are being visited, or what might accidentally get introduced onto that device. And if that device connects back to your business systems, it can carry those risks with it.
It’s a bit like giving someone a key to your building during the day, and then not knowing where that key goes at night.
Now, to be fair, not every business needs to go out and replace every device overnight. There are situations where limited use of personal devices can work, especially with the right safeguards in place. But it needs to be intentional, not just convenient.
If your business relies on consistent access to data, handles sensitive information, or has any kind of regulatory requirements, this is where the cracks tend to show up fastest. And once they do, fixing things is usually more disruptive and more expensive than getting it right from the start.
What I’ve seen over the years is that businesses do best when they treat their technology like any other part of their operation. You wouldn’t let employees bring their own accounting system or make up their own process for billing customers. Devices really aren’t that different.
So a good question to ask yourself is this.
If something went wrong tomorrow, would I feel confident that I know where my business data is, who has access to it, and how it’s being protected?
If the answer is “I think so” or “probably,” it might be worth taking a closer look.
You don’t have to solve everything at once. Sometimes the first step is just understanding what’s out there today and where the risks are. From there, you can make a plan that fits your business and your budget.
If this is something you’re dealing with, it might be helpful to sit down with someone you trust and walk through it together. Not to replace everything, but to make sure what you have in place actually supports your business, instead of quietly working against it.
That’s how I see it, anyway, and I’d enjoy hearing how you see it. None of this is a sales pitch. It’s just the kind of thing I’d talk through with you if we were sitting across the table. If it raised a question, or you think I have it wrong, I want to hear about it.
My door is always open. Whether you want to talk this through or just say hello, you can reach me anytime.
Network Solutions Unlimited is a generational managed IT services provider based in Decatur, Illinois, serving businesses and nonprofits with genuine support and decades of trusted relationships. Led by Baily Saulsbery and founded by her father Frank, we're not just your IT provider; we're your neighbors who happen to be really good at technology. Contact us today to experience IT support that actually cares.
