As more organizations allow employees to use consumer technologies on the job, tips for managing the risks and training users on appropriate use are gradually evolving. "The secret to living with the inexorable incursion of consumer technology," writes Wayne Rush, in an article at eWeek, "is to embrace what's good, control what's risky and educate people about those things that really are unsuitable for use in the office."

Citing a number of analysts and other industry experts, Rush covers a range of practices and policies for handling employees' use of devices not issued by the company. Encrypting and monitoring any data that leaves the network through USB ports helps prevent data breaches in the event of a lost drive, and it helps ensure regulatory compliance.

Common sense rules for mobile devices should be made clear to employees. Data on portable devices should be encrypted; whatever is downloaded onto those devices should be monitored; and if the devices are lost, their contents should be erasable. Industry experts also recommend that IT departments understand the legal framework surrounding the technologies they're in charge of. 

To make sure employees understand the policies, companies can include a question about data protection in the yearly performance review.

For more:
- see Wayne Rush's article at eWeek

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