A new phone, tablet, or laptop unwrapped on Christmas morning quite often ends up being used for work within days, especially if it's replacing an older device that was already doing double duty. Before that happens, a handful of quick checks are worth the few minutes they take, for both the device's sake and the business's.
Set it up properly before anything else
Before connecting a new device to work email or systems, make sure its basic security is actually in place first: the operating system updated to the latest version, a proper passcode, biometric lock, or PIN set (not left on the convenient-but-insecure default), and automatic security updates switched on rather than left to chance.
Think about what work data it's about to hold
If it's going to be used for work email, documents, or an authenticator app for multi-factor authentication, it's worth considering, before setting any of that up, whether this device should be treated under your business's BYOD policy if you have one — or whether it's actually a case for a proper company device instead, depending on how much business data it's likely to hold.
Don't let convenience skip security basics
It's genuinely tempting, in the rush of a new device, to skip past security prompts to get to the fun part faster — but the few minutes spent properly setting up a lock screen, checking for and installing updates, and enabling find-my-device or remote-wipe features before adding anything work-related are exactly the minutes that matter most if the device is ever lost or stolen later.
Old devices need attention too
Whatever the new device is replacing deserves a proper wipe before it's sold, given away, or recycled — not just a factory reset done quickly, but a check that no work email, saved passwords, or business files remain accessible on it afterwards.
A quick checklist beats winging it in January
None of this needs to be complicated, but it's easy to skip when everyone's keen to just start using a nice new device. A short, standard checklist for any new device before it touches work systems removes the guesswork.
If you'd like help setting up new devices properly, or reviewing your BYOD approach for the new year, our cyber security page covers how we can help, or get in touch.
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