Curbing Compliance Complications for Mobile Work

Imagine you're a sales representative who spends most of your time on the road, meeting customers and closing deals. You rely heavily on your mobile device to stay connected with your team and get access to important documents and information. But what happens when your device gets lost or stolen, and you have sensitive client data on it?

This scenario highlights the need for companies to be vigilant about compliance when it comes to mobile work. With more employees working remotely than ever before, it's crucial to have a robust compliance framework to protect sensitive information and avoid legal penalties.

Concrete Examples

• A healthcare company that allows clinicians to access patient records on their mobile devices must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• A financial services firm that uses mobile apps to facilitate trades must comply with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations.
• A retail chain that uses mobile devices for inventory management must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

How to Mitigate the Risk of Non-Compliance

1. Assess the regulatory requirements specific to your industry and make sure that your mobile work policies and procedures align with them.
2. Implement security measures such as device encryption, password protection, and remote wipe capabilities to safeguard sensitive data in case of loss or theft.
3. Train your employees on compliance best practices and regularly monitor their mobile device usage to ensure adherence to policies.

Conclusion

Mobile work offers numerous benefits in terms of productivity and flexibility, but it also comes with a fair share of compliance challenges. To mitigate the risk of non-compliance and protect your business, it's important to have a holistic approach that includes regulatory compliance, security measures, and employee training.