BYOD work practices expose cybersecurity risks

UP to 84% of organisations globally employ “bring your own device” (BYOD) practices in some form, but only half of them officially allow it, according to a recent report.

- ANNA COLLARD

While the convenience and cost saving of employees using their own personal devices for work is undeniable, there are many security risks involved too, particularly in hybrid and remote work environments.

Savings versus security

It’s becoming increasingly common for organisations to expect employees to use their own personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops for work — and employees seem to prefer the level of freedom it gives them.

From an organisational perspective, companies stand to save an average of R5 000 per employee every year just by employees using their own mobile devices. And two-thirds report that it also boosts productivity.

In South Africa, this trend has become ubiquitous. BYOD, particularly with smartphones having access to corporate email accounts, has been the norm for a lot of South African organisations for many years already. Although organisations in the financial services sector will have stricter policies, many startups, SMEs and even some larger organisations often allow, or even expect, employees to use their own phones and laptops for work — sometimes without formal policies in place.

While flexible and convenient, this informal approach introduces significant cyber and compliance risks. The KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025 highlights that up to 80% of employees in Africa use personal devices for work, with broader studies finding 70% of these devices are unmanaged. These figures translate into critical security blind spots.

Blind spots