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Cloud computing ‘can aid BYOD security’

How the cloud improves security when employees use their own devices

Cloud computing, smartphones and tablets are now widespread in both the consumer and business sectors, and a number of companies have attempted to take advantage of the popularity of mobile devices by allowing employees to use their personal gadgets at work in a bid to cut back on spending.

But while the benefits of the strategy are obvious in terms of saving money on hardware and training programmes, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend has resulted in a new emphasis on the issue of security due to users accessing sensitive company data on their personal platforms.

Yet considering the range of advantages that a BYOD policy can bring, ways in which businesses can implement the practice without exposing their confidential files are constantly being sought, and one expert believes cloud computing is a great way to boost security when workers use their own devices.

"[With cloud computing] the data is contained in a central server and [doesn’t need] a footprint of that data actually on the machine," said Phil Gillard, general manager at SolutionsPT.com.

"So if it is stolen and the password is secure, then in terms of the access to the particular data, you’ve actually not got any problem with data being held on the machine."

In this respect, backing up files in the cloud allows employees to access them on their devices, make changes and save the new document without actually storing it on either their smartphone or tablet.

And given the ability of cloud computing to enhance data sharing, it could also support remote workers – especially important with the Olympics being less than 40 days away.

However, while the digital world is growing, it is yet to take over entirely, and document scanning services can also be used to convert pages into virtual files than can be shared and accessed via the cloud.