Greatest Risk of Allowing Employees to Bring Personal Smartphones to Work

A.

The greatest risk to a company by allowing employees to physically bring their personal smartphones to work is the possibility of those devices being used to take pictures of proprietary information and equipment in restricted areas.

Option A is the correct answer because it presents the most significant risk to the company's security. Personal smartphones can be used to take pictures of sensitive information or equipment, which can then be shared with unauthorized parties or used for malicious purposes. For example, a photograph of a server room with a view of login credentials or other sensitive data could be used to gain unauthorized access to the company's network.

Option B is a legitimate concern because soft token software can be used to connect to the company's wireless network, potentially giving an attacker access to sensitive data. However, this risk can be mitigated by ensuring that the soft token software is properly secured and monitored.

Option C is a valid concern, as it may be difficult for the company to automate patch management on personally-owned devices. However, this risk can also be mitigated by implementing strict policies for employee-owned devices, such as requiring regular updates and security checks.

Option D is a valid concern, as the more devices there are on the company's campus, the greater the potential attack surface. However, this risk can also be mitigated by implementing strong security measures, such as network segmentation and access controls.

In summary, while all of the options presented present some level of risk, allowing employees to physically bring their personal smartphones to work presents the greatest risk to a company due to the possibility of those devices being used to take pictures of sensitive information or equipment.