The impact of bringing a personal device to work

Research by Unisys has revealed that a third of UK employees use a personal device for work purposes.

The survey of 987 end-users and 204 CIOs and IT directors across Western Europe revealed gaps in the readiness of businesses to support and secure the rapidly growing use of consumer technologies, such as netbooks, iPads and social media in the workplace.

In the UK, 38% of workers use smartphones for work, although only 14% of employers surveyed believed this to be the case.  Rob Chapman, Vice President and Managing Director of Unisys UKMEA said, “our study has uncovered compelling evidence that new technologies are blurring the divisions between work and leisure for Europe’s i-workers.  These tech-savvy i-workers are reversing the dynamic of business computing – driving the ‘consumerisation of IT’ revolution from the grassroots up, not top-down.”

“These i-workers are hungry for information and rich with ideas on new ways to innovate, serve customers and operate efficiently.  However, our research indicates that organisations in the UK have some way to go to catch up with their own employees’ innovations.  Organisations that can take advantage of this potential – without compromising their business systems – will be well prepared to succeed in the consumer-driven marketplace of the future.”

The widespread use of personal devices for work purposes, if undetected by businesses’ IT management, may pose considerable risks.  Not only can these devices hold a considerable amount of data which may leave the business open to theft of confidential data or customer lists, but it will also prove difficult for IT departments to monitor employee activity such as the use of the internet, emails sent and received and adhering to their acceptable use policy.

It is extremely important to consider these personal devices when conducting a digital forensic investigation as they may hold the key to your case.