How an Influx of New Devices Can Affect Network Security
By Doug King
Our daily lives are saturated with the use of electronic devices. We have devices for work, personal devices and even most home appliances now have smart features.
Following the holiday season, employees end up bringing new devices to work with them—on doing work on their personal devices.
Whether it’s a new cell phone or a Bluetooth speaker, these new devices can pose a security risk for businesses.
Simplifying our holiday shopping, we do a lot of it online. When we buy something off Amazon, we don’t fully understand where it was manufactured. Though it’s not talked about much, supply chain poisoning is a prevalent issue.
Security systems, smart TVs, drones and refurbished devices all have the potential to have been “poisoned” somewhere along the supply chain. These vulnerabilities create openings for malicious actors to access company information if the devices are connected to company networks.
The long-standing policy at BrilliT and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative is that personal devices should not be connected to the same network that the company’s business is connected to. A solution that we have put in place is having two networks: one for the company and its approved devices, and a “guest” network for visitors.
Key Takeaways for YOUR business
- Have a separate network for your company’s business and for visitors.
- Share information with employees encouraging them to steer clear of buying refurbished electronics.
- Provide employees with information on keeping the software of their work and personal devices up to date.
- Practice strong password rules and don’t reuse passwords
About the Author
Doug King leads BrilliT with 20 years of experience in the energy industry. He has created security technology patents, provided security services for organizations ranging from 20 to 25,000 employees, and led response teams during ransomeware and compromise attacks.
The BrilliT team is here to help, and we look forward to serving as your data analytics, cybersecurity and IT experts. Reach out to us with questions!
