Region braces for new security challenges as BYOD trend grows

Dubai: The Middle East is bracing for new security challenges as the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is growing tremendously with no sign of abating. BYOD is a business practice of employees bringing personally owned devices to their place of work.

The practice of allowing access to personal devices in the region is among the highest in the world. The new trend results in innovation and cost-savings but also creates security challenges, said industry experts.

“With an increasingly tech-savvy workforce and employees focused on productivity, companies in the region have everything to gain from fully embracing the consumerisation of IT trend and the desire to be increasingly mobile,” said Dave Brook, General Manager for Dell Middle East.

“The improved ability to work anywhere appears to be driving higher productivity for employers, with employees looking to be evaluated on the output of their work versus the number of hours spent. These factors are redefining the workplace and employees are looking for as they navigate this new environment.”

According to Aruba Networks latest study, more than 80 per cent of companies in the region allowed some form of access to personal devices — the highest in the world.

Stuart Fenton, EMEA president at Insight, forecast an acceleration of adoption when better tools emerge to lock down devices and make them more interoperable. “It’s probably 12 months before the big guns bring out those products. All those things coming together should push back on the naysayers,” he said.

Industry experts believe that the ability to use the latest smartphones and tablets in the workplace has shifted from negotiable luxury to a specific demand.

Ticking time bomb

It seems top executives and younger staff in organisations are demanding BYOD, but IT managers are wary. BYOD was characterised as a ticking time bomb for B2B hardware channels.

A study by Fortinet found that 56 per cent of respondents in the Middle East considered using their own device as a right rather than a privilege.

André Scheffknecht, Regional Vice-President at Sophos North East Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The region is one of the most tech hungry regions in the world and this new trend [BYOD] is understandably set to grow exponentially. To this end, a degree of pragmatism is needed in the business community, as well as a measured approach to adaptation that avoids security risks and cost-intensive mishaps.”

According to ABI Research, 2.4 billion employees will be using smartphones in the office worldwide — a growth rate of nearly 17 per cent.

Fenton agreed that “to some degree it is a threat”, but reckoned enterprises may look to exact control over the supply chain with a purchase programme for employees.

“Desktops and notebooks will still be corporate devices [procured centrally],” he said, adding that tabs and smartphones will likely fall under a BYOD strategy. Analysis by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney suggests that BYOD can deliver savings of up to 22 per cent, taking into account software depreciation and maintenance costs.