As more businesses embrace Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies to reduce tech expenses and accommodate employee preferences, many business owners overlook the hidden expenses and risks that accompany this approach.
Although it’s costly, the traditional approach is to provide employees with a laptop or mobile device and issue a protective case like those found on I-Blason.com, especially if it’s a new device, like the Samsung Galaxy S25. However, employees often have tech preferences and their productivity suffers when they’re forced to use an unfamiliar device. BYOD policies promise a middle ground, but they’re not perfect.
While a BYOD policy can provide immediate cost savings and increase employee productivity, it brings challenges that can significantly impact your bottom line.
Here’s a closer look at the often overlooked cost of having a BYOD policy in place, along with tips for making it work.
BYOD is a security risk that costs money
When you allow employees to use their own smartphones, tablets, and laptops for work, you’re automatically putting your company’s data at risk. Unlike devices that must be left in the office and therefore remain under your control, personal devices are used around the clock, and often by people other than your employee. This presents numerous risks to your company.
· Borrowed, lost, or stolen devices can potentially make your company accounts accessible to unauthorized people
· Your employees can download unauthorized, unsecure applications
· Your employees might accidentally download malware, like ransomware or a keystroke logger
· An employee using an unsecured Wi-Fi network can put your company’s login information at risk
While most cybersecurity risks can be mitigated with cybersecurity tools, including data encryption and strictly enforcing company policies, these solutions cost money. For example, you’ll need to buy cybersecurity insurance, pay annual fees for Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions, and pay for compliance monitoring and audits to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
If just one of your employees violates a data protection regulation in your industry, their actions (even if unintentional) can potentially cost your business thousands of dollars in fines, says IBM.
Although it’s convenient and saves money initially, having a BYOD policy significantly increases your operational costs consistently over time. However, only you can determine if the additional cost is worth the increase in productivity and output from your team. Consult with a cybersecurity professional to learn more about your options.
Having a BYOD policy adds complexity to your apps
If you have proprietary or internal software applications your employees must use, you’ll need to pay for additional software development to ensure compatibility with multiple platforms and operating system versions. Depending on how your applications were first developed, you might need to start from scratch.
Backups are more difficult with BYOD
It’s easy to back up files on devices that need to be left in the office. You can require backups to be made and submitted on a certain day each week (or at the end of each day), and automate the process with software to cover the entire device. However, when employees use a personal device for work, you can’t just back up their entire device. You’ll have to separate work files from personal files, and only your employee will be able to do that.
With a BYOD policy, you’ll be completely reliant on your employees to create proper backups of all work-related files. Don’t hesitate to add self-initiated regular backups to your company policy on a set schedule. It takes a little more work to get employees to stay on top of their backups, but the cost of skipping device backups can be extensive if critical information is lost.
Some employees push back against being monitored
One of the most difficult challenges you’ll face with a BYOD policy is pushback from employees who don’t want to install monitoring software on their devices. It can feel like their personal privacy is being invaded. However, this should be a non-negotiable part of the deal. The key is to only monitor what’s necessary. Still, you’ll probably get pushback.
If you do require device monitoring, set clear guidelines to define what you’re monitoring and why, and get employee consent in writing. Anyone who doesn’t agree will need to use a company-provided device.
Balance flexibility with control
While a BYOD policy can bring significant advantages to your company and make employees happy and productive, it’s not without risk, according to NCSC. You’ll need to carefully weigh the benefits against the costs and challenges to determine if BYOD is the right approach for your organization.
