Recognizing the need to be proactive in the hybrid work environment, many organizations are establishing an acceptable use policy for workplace technology.
An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a document that outlines the rules and restrictions employees must follow in regard to the company’s network, software, internet connection and devices. It explicitly states how employees should and shouldn’t use employer-provided technology and personal mobile devices in workplaces with bring your own device (BYOD) policies. If you’re considering instituting an acceptable use policy for workplace technology, here’s what you need to know.
The increase in remote work has led to an increase in ransomware attacks as cybercriminals use phishing schemes and take advantage of vulnerabilities in unsecured wireless networks.
Employees may also install certain types of applications that hackers are more likely to attack.
An employee’s ability to intentionally or inadvertently compromise the security of your company is one of the biggest reasons to consider implementing an acceptable use policy. An acceptable use policy ensures employees understand their responsibilities and rights as well as the company’s expectations of them regarding technology in the workplace. It also helps educate employees on how to identify potential threats and keep themselves safe from cybercriminals.
A detailed, well-organized, and easy-to-understand acceptable use policy can considerably reduce your company’s risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, and compliance violations. It also enables your company to properly hold employees accountable when they violate acceptable use policies.
Acceptable use policies for workplace technology can help save your company from unnecessary headaches, but they can also create issues if drafted improperly.
For example, if the policy outlines specific repercussions for certain actions, it leaves little to no room for interpretation or discretion. If two employees committed the same infraction under different conditions and your company decided to fire one but not the other, the terminated employee has grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit. That’s why the wording of your acceptable use policy should provide you with the flexibility to handle violations on a case-by-case basis.
An AUP can help reduce your company’s vulnerability to cyberattacks by limiting employee access to certain websites. But if your regulations are too strict, it can negatively affect the employee experience and, in turn, productivity and retention.
Of course, you want to limit opportunities to put your company at risk of a data breach or virus. But not allowing employees to check their personal email or take a quick mental break to read a news article gives the impression you don’t trust them to be responsible, which can seriously hurt morale. Plus, research shows that giving employees a reprieve from their work can substantially improve their performance.
Here are some guidelines for creating an acceptable use policy that is easy to enforce and easy for employees to follow:
For many companies, it makes sense to have acceptable use policies for workplace technology. For others, it may not.
But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that workplace technology should be accessible and so easy to use that employees don’t even have to think about it.
When technology isn’t easy to use, employees find work-arounds—including downloading various third-party applications that haven’t been properly vetted.
Considering 60% of organizations have experienced a breach from a third-party provider, your IT team should be vetting every workplace technology solution carefully.
That starts by asking the right questions and asking them to provide a detailed security policy that includes:
iOFFICE + SpaceIQ uses best-in-class policies to maintain data privacy and security, starting with our software development process. We have documented processes to comply with the most highly regulated industries and address any concerns your IT team might have. At the same time, over customers consistently give us high ratings for having the most user-friendly technology on the market. In recent surveys, 93% said our solutions were easier to use than other comparable tools.
If you'd like to learn more about how we help you improve your employee experience while protecting your valuable data, schedule a demo with us today.
Zack Kingsak is a Product Marketer motivated to create the ‘lightbulb’ moment in every interaction.