Personal computers and external providers: how to protect company data
An employee reads work e-mail on their private phone, an assistant works on Fridays from the family computer, an accountant or an external developer needs access to certain files… It is convenient, but these devices are neither managed nor controlled by the company. How do you keep control of the data?
The risk
- A shared family computer, without an up-to-date antivirus or with pirated software.
- Attachments saved on a device that will be sold or lost.
- A provider who keeps access months after the end of the assignment.
- And, in case of a leak, the company’s liability under the Swiss data protection act (nFADP).
Private phones: protect the apps, not the whole phone
With Microsoft Intune, there is no need to “take over” the personal phone. Only the work apps are protected (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive): mandatory passcode, no copy-paste to private apps, and wiping of company data only when the employee leaves. Private photos and apps are never touched.
Private computers: browser-only access, under conditions
- Allow access to Microsoft 365 in the browser only, without downloading files (with Microsoft Entra ID P1 conditional access).
- Or provide a cloud PC (Windows 365): the employee connects to a business Windows, and the data never leaves the cloud.
- In every case: mandatory two-factor authentication.
External providers: guest access, limited and time-bound
- A guest account (Microsoft Entra) rather than a shared employee account or a password sent by e-mail.
- Access to a single SharePoint site or Teams team, not to everything.
- An expiry date on access and sharing links.
- For remote maintenance: a tool that asks for the user’s consent and logs connections.
- A review of external access at the end of each assignment.
A simple rule, in writing
One page is enough: which devices may access what, what is forbidden (USB storage, shared accounts), and what happens in case of loss or departure. Signed by everyone, it protects the company and makes things clear for all. See also IT governance and documentation (page in French).
Need help? We support SMEs, practices and individuals in French-speaking Switzerland. Discover our Microsoft 365 service (page in French) or call us on +41 21 519 21 27.
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