--- title: BYO(D'oh)! Avoid Losing Personal Data When Leaving Your Job description: There's a lot to love about the Bring-Your-Own-Device-to-Work trend. BYOD employees have only one device to keep track one — and one they choose themselves. Employers, meanwhile, reduce their hardware costs. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/byodoh-avoid-losing-personal-data-when-leaving-your-job/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # BYO(D'oh)! Avoid Losing Personal Data When Leaving Your Job There's a lot to love about the Bring-Your-Own-Device-to-Work trend. BYOD employees have only one device to keep track one — and one they choose themselves. Employers, meanwhile, reduce their hardware costs. [Learn More](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/cyber-protect/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 23 October 2022 There's a lot to love about the Bring-Your-Own-Device-to-Work trend. BYOD employees have only one device to keep track one — and one they choose themselves. Employers, meanwhile, reduce their hardware costs. But this blending of personal and work lives can come at a cost. The threat of losing confidential company data, either through a data breach or loss — is greater with BYOD, which is why many companies have taken extra precautions to protect data on these employee-owned devices. One popular measure is "remote wiping," a software tool installed on a device that enables companies to disable or even destroy stored data from afar. Sounds smart, right? But what happens when an employee leaves a company, voluntarily or not, only to discover all of their personal photos, contacts and other private data is gone? It happened recently. The Wall Street Journal reported this month the story of an independent consultant who, after leaving the company where he was working, discovered his device wiped clean and reset to factory settings. He reportedly lost everything, including photos, music, contacts and apps. As it turns out, the consultant's experience is not uncommon. An[Acronis survey](http://www.acronis.com/pr/2013/07/17-08-07.html) last year found that 21 percent of companies perform remote wipes, though the practice may not be legal. ## What's the solution? Companies have a legitimate interest in protecting their data. But when does remote-wiping cross the line — and how can employees protect the data on their personal devices? Here's some advice: 1. Backup all personal data: Back up mobile device data in the cloud or on a personal hard drive (or, better yet, both) to protect it in case a device is stolen, broken or remote-wiped. But — there's always a but, right? — back up personal data only, not corporate data that can fall under a company's privacy policy. 2. Read up on company policy: To avoid the headache altogether, always review a company's BYOD policy to find out what it does with personal data once a BYOD worker exits. 3. Consider alternative devices: Apple and Android devices are popular with employees and companies alike, but other manufacturers offer ways to segment personal and work data in a single device. With BlackBerry Balance and Samsung Knox devices, for example, IT teams can be selective about which data gets wiped, according BGR. h/t The Wall Street Journal [Image via WonderHowTo] [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/byod-pay-day-fix-overloaded-network-cloud-native-defined-weekly-roundup/) [BYOD Pay Day, the Fix for the Overloaded Network & 'Cloud-Native' Defined: Weekly Roundup](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/byod-pay-day-fix-overloaded-network-cloud-native-defined-weekly-roundup/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/hunch-doesnt-win-super-bowl-anymore-big-data-does/) [A Hunch Doesn't Win the Super Bowl Anymore. Big Data Does.](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/hunch-doesnt-win-super-bowl-anymore-big-data-does/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? Read the latest stories featuring this solution on our blog. [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) ![Image 4: stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/9600f3eea83b8f4e168ea6c1409c8c26.png) [stc Bahrain and Acronis partner to bring advanced endpoint security to businesses in Bahrain](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/stc-bahrain-and-acronis-partner-to-bring-endpoint-security-to-businesses/) We are proud to announce a strategic partnership with stc Bahrain, expanding access to advanced cybersecurity services for businesses across Bahrain. **October 26, 2026**3 min read ![Image 5: Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/30cb571f6f1aaa131733e5727a4a250c.png) [Introducing New Acronis CEO: Prakash Panjwani](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/introducing-new-acronis-ceo-prakash-panjwani/) We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer, Prakash Panjwani. A veteran cybersecurity CEO, Panjwani previously served as CEO of WatchGuard Technologies and SafeNet. **October 15, 2026**2 min read ![Image 6: Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/18e90e89f5ec4ef0901f19008d4ccbf2.png) [Acronis expands MDR toward broader workspace protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-expands-mdr-toward-broader-workspace-protection/) Acronis is expanding the MDR service with capabilities that make this expertise easier to deliver and help partners address more risks. The developments build on a broader commitment to managed security: helping service providers protect the connected workspace while giving customers access to the expertise needed to investigate threats, respond effectively and maintain business continuity. **October 13, 2026**6 min read