More and more Federal agencies will adopt bring your own device (BYOD) policies in 2017, and industries will keep up with solutions to secure the devices, according to Glenn Roth, Citrix senior systems engineer for U.S. public sector.
Several Federal agencies, including some of Roth’s customers, already have BYOD policies, which allow employees to work on their own laptops or tablets. The system of allowing employees to use their own devices offers opportunities for agencies to save money on Federally funded devices. Also, Roth said that employees are generally more comfortable working on their own computers than on government-issued devices.
“Users want to work on devices they like. BYOD is going to become more prevalent,” Roth said. “BYOD use cases will accelerate, and that’s going to also push industries.”
Roth said that securing apps and data is a key part of BYOD policy. He said it is a delicate balance between making sure Federal employees have access to the apps they need while ensuring security at all times. To do this, agencies will need to assess available technology and familiarize themselves with their data security capabilities and the tools they have at their disposal. He also said that agencies need to make sure their employees are not inundated with phishing attempts and endpoint analysis scams.
In the next two or three years, every agency will have a telework policy and some sort of BYOD standards, Roth said. He stated that BYOD policy will be fueled by users, particularly millennials. On the business side, Roth said that security tools are “going to get a little more entertaining” because cybersecurity solutions will keep pace with Federal adoption of BYOD programs.
“As more companies work together, it’ll become a stronger story,” Roth said. “The integration of tech over the next year will allow additional security.”
