Agencies have been cautious about adopting a "bring your own device" policy, citing concerns about security and liability, but the report found that officials have made it a lower priority in recent years.
Last year, 11 percent of officials who make technology decisions at their agencies said they considered implementing the device policy "critical," down from 17 percent in 2013, according to a survey by Forrester. More than 40 percent of officials said such a program was not even on their agenda.
Many government officials regard those programs as "more trouble than they're worth," the report said.
Security is the top concern for those in government, with 66 percent of public sector leaders saying the use of personal computers reduces security, according to the report. In comparison, 52 percent of private industry executives cited security as their top concern.
The reason for the government's declining interest is also because of the evolution of device policies, said Michele Pelino, an analyst at Forrester and co-author of the report.
"Organizations — including the government — are now using the 'bring your own device' policy as one part of their overall mobility strategy," she said.
The White House has a toolkit to guide federal agencies through the adoption of a "bring your own device" strategy, a project that was spearheaded in 2012 by former chief information officer Steven VanRoekel. Agencies also had a mandate to establish telework options for employees under a 2010 law, which could involve the use of personal devices.
Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach for workers, some agencies could benefit from a partial program, Pelino said.
For instance, the Census Bureau is considering a "bring your own device" option for temporary workers who conduct door-to-door interviews during census counts. Employees would be able to collect information through an app on their Android phones.
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