Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or the concept of letting employees bring their own smart digital devices has opened up new business opportunities for testing tools and security solutions firms.

BYOD is no longer a choice for companies and organisations. They will have to allow their staff to use Internet-connected devices to improve productivity and save time. But what worries the firms is not just security of data that flows in and out of the IT network.

“The number of smart devices that are in use is mind blowing. They (staff) change every other month as and when new models hit the market. It is impossible for corporates to keep track of the new releases and take a decision on whether to allow that device,” Mr Sriram Rajaram, President (Strategy and Corporate Development), Cigniti, told Business Line .

Security risks

The Hyderabad-based company is setting up a lab to provide testing solutions for corporates. “We are going to buy those smart devices. We can use these devices to test their compatibility with business applications of different firms,” he said.

In a recent study, British firm BT found that cyber security threats, accidental or intentional employee data loss and increasing use of personal devices on employers' networks are the three biggest security risks perceived by IT decision-makers.

The BT research also showed that 82 per cent of companies say they already allow BYOD or will do within the next 24 months.

ICSA Labs, an arm of Verizon, too, is offering a testing programme for determining whether these devices meet the latest security standards for connecting with virtual private networks.

Mr J.S. Samuel, Head of Global Testing Practice at CSC, said the company started to support enterprises strategies on what data, application and services be permitted for access to its employees on smart devices.

“This has resulted in creation of testing avenues in the areas of governance, security, mobile middleware, privacy and compliance,” he said.

> kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

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