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CISSP Practice Question: Is implementing a bring-your-own-device (BYOD)…
An organization is implementing a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. The security architect must ensure that corporate data on the device is protected from unauthorized access if the device is lost or stolen, while minimizing impact on user privacy. Which solution is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose full device encryption with remote wipe (Option D) because it sounds strong, but they overlook the privacy impact of wiping personal data, which the question explicitly states must be minimized.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use mobile device management (MDM) to create a secure container for corporate apps and data
A secure container (often implemented via MDM with app wrapping or per-app VPN) creates an encrypted, isolated partition on the device for corporate apps and data. This ensures that if the device is lost or stolen, the corporate data remains encrypted and inaccessible without the container's authentication, while personal apps and data outside the container remain untouched, thus minimizing privacy impact.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use mobile device management (MDM) to create a secure container for corporate apps and data
Why this is correct
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is the most appropriate solution for securing corporate data on personal devices in a BYOD program. By creating a secure container, MDM logically isolates corporate applications and data from the user's personal information. This isolation allows the organization to enforce specific security policies, manage corporate applications, and perform a selective wipe of only the corporate container if the device is lost, stolen, or an employee departs, without affecting personal data.
- ✗
Require employees to use company-issued devices only
Why it's wrong here
The fundamental premise of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program is to leverage employees' personal devices for work, offering benefits like cost savings and increased user satisfaction. Requiring employees to use company-issued devices directly contradicts this core objective, effectively eliminating the BYOD program altogether. Such a policy would revert to a corporate-owned device model, negating the purpose of the question's scenario.
- ✗
Disable camera and microphone on the device
Why it's wrong here
While disabling a device's camera and microphone might be a relevant control for preventing unauthorized audio or visual recording in sensitive environments, it does not address the primary security concern of protecting corporate data at rest or in transit on the device. This measure is a physical security control focused on data capture, not a logical control for safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of stored corporate information.
- ✗
Full device encryption with remote wipe capability
Why it's wrong here
Full device encryption is a robust security measure for data at rest, but implementing a full remote wipe capability on a personal BYOD device creates significant privacy and usability issues. A full remote wipe would indiscriminately erase all data, including the employee's personal photos, contacts, and applications, which is an unacceptable invasion of privacy. This approach would lead to severe user dissatisfaction and is not suitable for a BYOD environment where personal and corporate data coexist.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Security Governance and Principles
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, protecting your data and hiding your online activity.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CISSP exam.