Tablets with split personalities

As tablet computers become more popular among consumers, they are also finding a home in the workplace. However, this trend is becoming a concern for many businesses and their data protection efforts.

The duality of computing devices has been developing for some time, but it was expedited with the advent of advanced mobile technology. Employees who take their personal tablets and smartphones everywhere are increasingly using them for work-related tasks.

This can present issues for companies, as they may not have the policies in place to regulate the use of personal devices. Furthermore, once those policies are established, enforcing them becomes another hurdle.

Short of banning personal devices in the workplace, there are a number of measures a company can take to ensure corporate data remains protected. For example, a company may deploy a service that creates two separate identities on one device -- one for work, the other for play. Password-protected networks also meet many data security needs, as employees will be required to log in when using a company program or application.

Personal devices are becoming more common in the workplace and could have significant benefits. Rather than shy away from the development, a business would likely be better served embracing it with a secure approach in mind.