The world of business has to move with the times, and right now that means it makes a lot of sense to allow staff to use whatever devices they have for work. BYOD – bring your own device – is here to stay, and if implemented properly can be a real boon to the productivity and happiness of your employees. They get to use a device they’re comfortable with, and you get to slash your hardware deployment costs.

But BYOD brings with it new risks to the security of sensitive company data, with employees taking their main work systems out of the office with them at the end of the day. Rather than fearing the worst and avoiding BYOD altogether, here are five simple steps to making a BYOD approach work.

Educate employees

Implementing a BYOD approach can be safe and secure if good guidelines are laid down from the start. Be safe when browsing. Don’t download apps from unknown sources. Watch out for phishing emails and texts. All the advice you think would apply to smartphone users is even more important when it comes to a business environment. The easiest way to ensure a basic level of security awareness is to advise employees on safe mobile practices.

Set up passcodes

It should be step one on every smartphone owner’s security list, whether we’re talking about devices for use at home or in business. Enabling your device’s passcode lock means a stranger won’t be able to easily access the sensitive contents should it go missing, whatever the circumstances. The smaller the timeout period, the more secure the device, so encourage employees to set it to no more than a minute or two.

Secure your network

Securing the devices themselves is one thing, giving them a safe environment in which to work is another thing entirely. Your wi-fi networks should be as secure as possible, which at a basic level means setting up secure passwords both for users connecting to the network and for admins maintaining the network. Change the passwords regularly, and make use of guest accounts for visitors and other non-permanent staff.

Install security software

Finally, you can’t control what you’re employees do on their own devices, but you can give them an extra layer of protection. Require them to download and install an app such as Norton Mobile Security, which can quickly scan any new app for malware and other malicious content. Should a device ever get lost or stolen, Norton Mobile Security allows you to remotely wipe sensitive information – that includes proprietary business files. Ensure that even the least tech-savvy of employees can take control of their mobile security.

Want to learn more about protecting your small business? Gain practical tips from this free webinar on March 27, register now: Protecting Your Business as You Grow: 3 Easy Techniques You Should Be Doing Now.