At face value, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a win-win: employees get to use their phones without the hassle of carrying two devices, and businesses save on hardware costs. But if you look past the convenience, you’ll find that BYOD is actually a double-edged sword. Without the right guardrails, it quickly becomes one of the biggest security risks your business will face. Even though mobile devices host highly sensitive emails, files, and customer data, they usually aren’t as strongly protected as laptops and desktops – leaving them wide open to cyber attacks.
Over the years, I’ve helped many SMBs understand why attackers often see them as easier prey than large enterprises — along with what they can do to secure their endpoints (even with limited IT resources and tight budgets).
In this article, I’ll break down the biggest problems with BYOD that I’ve seen firsthand, and more importantly, I’ll show you practical steps you can take to manage the risks and make BYOD work for your business instead of against it.
Without question, the biggest issue with BYOD has to be the security risks it introduces. Data loss, phishing, malware, lost or stolen devices, unsecured apps, dodgy Wi-Fi connections, and cross-contamination of personal and work data all stem from a lack of control. Because an employee’s phone belongs to them, they are held responsible for keeping it (and the company’s data that sits on it) safe. So if their phone is compromised in any way, your business is left dangerously exposed to all kinds of threats.
To make matters worse, when it comes to cyber attacks, SMBs in particular have the biggest target on their backs. This is mainly because attackers know that smaller companies usually don’t have the strict security measures in place that large enterprises do – essentially making them “ripe for the taking”.
Check out this article for a deeper dive into how attackers target smaller businesses.
If you are like one of the many SMB owners I speak to who have the “We’re too small to be a target” mindset, let me tell you that cyber criminals aren’t your only concern. Regulations like GDPR and PCI don’t make exceptions for small businesses. Before you roll your eyes and say, “Yes, Anton, of course we know that we need to be compliant”, here’s the thing: BYOD makes compliance far more difficult. When employees use personal devices, you lose visibility and control. You don’t always know where company data is stored, whether it’s been shared via shadow IT, how long it’s being kept or whether it’s been deleted after an employee leaves.
The scary part is you often don’t realise you’re in breach until it’s too late, like when an audit or investigation uncovers data leakage, or a customer complains when their details are mishandled. I’ve found that SMBs are usually caught out in these areas: improper storage, missing consent records, ignoring data erasure requirements, and unmanaged sharing between personal and business apps.
A hefty GDPR fine can bring a small business to its knees. But let’s not forget the fact that the cost of an incident – whether it’s a cyber attack or a compliance breach – goes beyond money. You could lose customer trust overnight, face regulatory fines, suffer operational downtime, and deal with reputational damage that no PR initiative could fix.
Here’s a question I like to ask IT managers: Would you allow an unmanaged laptop to access your company data? The answer is always no, because they’re endpoints (i.e., entry points into the business). You’d think that the same would be said for mobile devices. But too many businesses still treat mobiles like “just phones” when in reality, they’re pocket computers that have business-critical information on them and therefore need the same level of protection as laptops, desktops and tablets.
The biggest IT challenge with BYOD is that many teams simply don’t “own” the problem. In this article I mentioned the fact that mobile deployment and management need to be core IT responsibilities – not left to whoever purchased them. This speaks to the underlying issue of complacency: “If it works now, why change?”. Teams that have that mentality are usually in for a shock once they’ve done an audit, or they have a breach on their hands. It’s like car insurance: most of the time you don’t need it. But when something happens, you’re glad you have it. Sure, securing devices proactively might cost a few thousand Pounds a year. But this pales in comparison when you’re looking at fixing a breach retroactively.
Let’s be clear, BYOD is here to stay: employees like the convenience, and businesses benefit from the cost savings. The real challenge is balancing security with employee privacy. If you’re worried about your boss being able to see your personal photos or texts (as most employees are), let me put your mind at ease. With a proper BYOD setup, businesses only control the work container, not the personal side.
This is where Mobile Device Management (MDM) comes in: it creates a clean separation between work and personal. It’s church and state. But there still needs to be an element of trust here, because if you impose strict policies on your staff’s personal phones without explanation, resentment enters the room. It’s like when a parent says, “Don’t do this.” If they don’t explain why, I can guarantee you that the child will go off and do it anyway. But if they explain the reasoning, they will understand and accept it. Transparency makes all the difference.
The same goes for security policies: if people understand why policies exist — and have a say in shaping them — they’re more likely to buy in and do their part in keeping the business safe. Get this balance wrong, and you risk shadow IT or shadow AI (i.e., employees finding workarounds you can’t see), or people walking away with sensitive data when they leave the business, with you being none the wiser.
If you’re thinking about implementing BYOD in your business, don’t jump in blind. Here are the three steps I recommend:
Remember, your employees are already using their devices in ways you may not know. Having that conversation can bring up risks you need to address and opportunities you can leverage.
For most SMBs, BYOD is a no-brainer and can absolutely work for your business. But only if it’s managed properly. With the right policies, training, and tools in place, you can reap the benefits of flexibility and cost savings without leaving yourself dangerously exposed.
The real problem isn’t with BYOD itself: it’s that unmanaged devices create serious risks — from security breaches and compliance failures to reputational damage and unexpected costs. And attackers are counting on SMBs being complacent or thinking they’re “too small to be a target”.
I’m here to help you understand these challenges and pitfalls before they cause real damage, and to give you the confidence to take action. If you’re ready to get ahead of the risks, let’s have a chat, and together, we’ll spot gaps in your current approach and take the first steps toward implementing BYOD the right way.