With the holidays just behind us, there’s a good chance you may have received a cool new technology gadget as a gift. Yes, it has all kinds of bells and whistles. Yes, it could be very useful in the workplace. So yes, you should go ahead and bring it to work with you, right?
Not so fast. Most companies (rightfully so) have a security and/or acceptable use policy, which specifies who owns the information you’re trying to access. In most cases you don’t even own your company email.
Before you take your new gadget to work, as yourself these questions:
- How will I feel if I get a subpoena for my gadget (because there is company data on it)?
- Do I want to give the company permission to access my gadget to see their data?
- Do I want to give the company permission to delete all my data because I misplaced my gadget?
- When the gadget comes home at night, do I really want to play with something I use at work?
- Do I want a family member seeing my work information?
If none of these is a concern, talk to your IT department. They will have their own set of questions, too, including:
- What information are you going to access via your new gadget?
- How will that information be protected? (Virus protection, spyware protection, malware of all kinds, passwords, and encryption protocol are just some of the things the company may consider.)
- How can we make sure the gadget doesn’t cause an information flow disruption?
- How will the device make you a better and more productive worker?
- Who provides the maintenance and up-keep for the gadget?
- Are you the only person that will access the gadget?
If all parties agree it makes sense to use your gadget at work, be sure to get it in writing.
Technology can improve your life, including your productivity at work. But don’t assume that just because you got a new toy, you can bring it in and start to use it on your company network. You might get rewarded with an unemployment check.
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