Is MDM Infringing on Your Privacy?

It is time to ask the question: Is MDM infringing on your privacy?

Now more than ever people are starting to realize that working from home on their own devices is a viable option for the foreseeable future. This means that countless employees are accessing sensitive files or information from their companies on their own personal devices. It’s extremely simple for people to roll out of bed and log onto their laptops and begin work for the day.

Oftentimes however they aren’t nearly as protected as they should be on their personal devices. This is where Mobile Device Management comes in. Mobile Device Management or “MDM” can be a great way to secure your employees and your companies data from attack on the go.

However, with this can come multiple privacy concerns in regards to an employees personal information.

• Can companies put restrictions and monitoring software on their employees personal devices where they may have personal and private information?
• Should employees be made to give up certain personal information such as health documents or personal email and text messages just to access company data?

For instance a business may be using your device's GPS in order to make sure your device isn’t lost or stolen. This can be helpful for employees in the office however no one wants the company they work for tracking them 24/7 in their personal lives.

Additionally, what happens if your device is hacked? If you’re accessing private business information on your own personal device and your company has to wipe the memory you may be losing more than you bargained for. You would be losing contacts, family photos, medical information, etc. If your company is involved in some sort of litigation and you have been accessing company information you may have to risk divulging personal information as well as company information.

Because of risks like this employees are starting to become increasingly wary of MDM on their devices.

Employees are becoming more and more uncomfortable with the idea of their places of work being able to access virtually all of their data with a press of the button. This is why it is important for companies to be honest about what they are monitoring and find ways to make sure they can protect both their own data as well as their employees.

Make sure you're asking the question: Is MDM infringing on my privacy?

Corporate Information Technologies provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services including compliance assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, and comprehensive business continuity planning services. Corporate Information Technologies can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.