In this case study we explored a business strategy referred to as BYOD or Bring Your
Own Device. This networking model allows a company’s employees to use personal devices of their choice when accessing and interpreting company data. This approach has mutual benefits with both the organization as well as the employee. These personal devices give the users increased mobility when accessing platforms within the organization from multiple locations.
This proves useful when considering that some work can be taken home or to other places to be completed. In addition to Mobility, this method allows employees to use the programs they are most familiar with to complete tasks. This helps increase speed and accuracy of the employee’s efforts, thus increasing the company’s efficiency and productivity. One intangible benefit, in implementing the bring­your­own­device style, is that you have a much higher satisfaction rate with the employees, which helps boost morale. Another benefit is that the company incurs lower overhead costs associated with IT expenses such as hardware procurement and the maintenance associated with the hardware.
The Bring Your Own Device to work model has many benefits, but it also has serious risks associated with those benefits. By using this model the organization is left vulnerable to outside influences. From my research on this topic I found that the organization is put at risk on several levels. When one considers how intricate and massive some networks are, the possibilities of infiltration are almost endless. When organizations consider using this model, they should also consider an in­depth study into how to govern the security risk. One way to handle this problem would be to Implement a company policy in regards to sharing information and giving outside users access to privileged information. It would also be wise for an organization to consider using security software and support in addition to the policies set

forth. Computer weekly gives a great example, in its May 2013 issue, of ways to implement security or even ways to deter users from using their own. This article mentions: policies, forms of control containment, and enterprise tools. By using policies you force the user to accept responsibility for a compromise and confidential information. And the control aspect is basically using the software mentioned earlier to manage end users and enforce the policies.
The insurance giant Aetna implemented this system. In a 2014 dynaquest article, the pros and cons of implementing the model for Aetna were discussed. The article mentions some of the downfalls and benefits the company has experienced since implementing their BYOD. For
Aetna it has been an ever changing process. From policy amendments to incurring new cost.
For instance the article says, “Bring your own device has eliminated the need for the company to buy laptops for some employees. But it has also led to an increase in calls to the help desk from users who have problems with their devices or apps, or can’t access the network”. This obviously has created other related costs for Aetna. The article goes on to say, “ there is a cost advantage to doing bring your own device, it is balanced with the cost of employee. When we first went down this road people assumed it would save the company a lot of money. In well it can eliminate some cause it may raise them elsewhere.”. One could assume that these cost will always be there. But it is imperative for the organization to continue to be proactive and innovative in its pursuit of maintaining a healthy networking environment. In the end the increase in productivity has proved to be a beneficial for Aetna.
The model could be very beneficial for a smaller company whose employees may have to travel and need access to companies platforms to be successful in their task. I say smaller companies because they tend to have less access to resources. So using this model as a way to

cut costs could lighten the burden on their financial resources and hardware obligations. I would also have to consider how sensitive the information organization had in its possession.
This model could prove to be effective in a number business circumstances. Butts before making a definitive decision I will have to do an in­depth analysis of the business organization before trying to use this model.

BYOD: Data protection and information security issues. (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2016, from http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/BYOD­data­protection­and­information­security­iss ues
Pros and Cons of Bringing Your Own Device to Work. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://www.pcworld.com/article/246760/pros_and_cons_of_byod_bring_your_own_device_ Hamblen, M. (2015, May). The bring­your­own­device fad is fading. Retrieved July 25, 2016, from http://www.computerworld.com/article/2948470/byod/the­bring­your­own­device­fad­is­fadin
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The dark side of BYOD ­ TechRepublic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2016, from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tech­decision­maker/the­dark­side­of­byod/