Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 33 | Page 57

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// FEATURE: BYOD Don’t let BYOD security keep you up at night With an increasing number of personal devices being used in the workplace, security concerns over BYOD are enough to keep IT managers up at night. But Gamal Emara, Country Manager, UAE, at Aruba, says a good night’s sleep can be assured by boosting your network security. www.intelligentcio.com S martphones and other personal devices can now be found in most businesses as users are staying connected to the corporate network from anywhere, any time. It’s the stuff that keeps IT and security managers up at night – mobile users, multiple devices per user and enterprise data on the move. Besides security threats, there are also difficulties that arise out of insufficient or misguided investments. If not implemented properly, BYOD can add to management overheads while failing to deliver any additional value to the organisation. Businesses that are embracing BYOD must consider the impact of allowing employee owned devices into the office. The main challenges include: • Wi-Fi network capacity and coverage: A survey by Aruba a few years ago revealed that the large majority of employees prefer Wi-Fi over any other form of connectivity. Organisations must therefore ensure that they have pervasive Wi-Fi networks operating at the latest 802.11ac speeds. Capacity planning should focus not only on the number of devices, but also an understanding of where devices will roam and what types of applications they will operate INTELLIGENTCIO 57