Cornerstone MD Chris Petty ( pictured ) on why BYOT and BYOD lead the 2021 technology trends – but cyber security should be everyone ’ s top priority …

Things such as :

Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) Machine Learning Robot Process Automation ( RPA ) Edge computing Quantum computing Internet of things ( IoT ) Cyber security

Many readers won ’ t have heard of or know a lot about that list , apart from perhaps the Internet of Things and definitely cyber security – something that will become crucial to us all in 2021 . As the result of the last year ’ s challenges , what we do know is that technology has progressed far more quickly than normal . In fact , we have advanced by two years in just 12 months , as we relied on technology more than ever during lockdown and home-working .

Of course , we would all like to know if we ’ ll return to “ normal ” and what the “ new normal ” will look like , given our newfound use of and comfort in using technology . I think many people are itching to get back to the office just for social interaction , chats over morning coffee or at the water cooler to break the day up . No doubt for one or two after-work drinks too !

However , reports suggest that more than 80 per cent of us would like to continue with a balance between the office and working from home .

From an IT perspective , policies will have to change to allow BYOD ( bring your own device ), as employees will now have apps and data on their own personal mobile phones . And policies will also need to cover BYOT ( bring your own technology ) to cover employees ’ own devices . A good example of this would be a smart watch that may have company data on it .

We should all welcome this progress . However , it also presents challenges . Security is an issue in just about everything digital . You need to agree a strategy , policies and address multiple-platform issues .

Businesses can improve BYOD / BYOT security through mobile authentication services , mobile application management and unified services .

So will things go back to normal ? Everyone has their own views on this but one thing is for sure – the advancement in using technology is here to stay . After all , we generally found it easy and reliable . But we must be mindful of one of the biggest things we now know as a risk . Cyber security must be at the top of all our priority lists .

If you have concerns about the cyber security of your business or would just like to find out more , please get in touch . We ’ d love to help .

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