What is the primary risk associated with not using multi-factor authentication for BYOD devices?

The primary risk associated with not using multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a higher risk of unauthorized access. MFA is a security measure that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, such as an application or an online account. This added layer of security helps to ensure that even if a password is compromised, unauthorized users would still need additional information to gain access.

Without MFA, the security of the devices that users bring from outside the organization is significantly weakened. If a device is lost, stolen, or infected with malware, unauthorized individuals may exploit those vulnerabilities to access sensitive company information and systems. Given that BYOD often involves employees using personal devices to connect to corporate networks, the potential for unauthorized access increases dramatically without MFA, leading to data breaches, loss of sensitive information, and other security incidents that could have severe implications for an organization.

The other considerations such as increased hardware costs, reduced system performance, and incompatibility with new software, while they may pose challenges in specific contexts, do not directly address the critical security vulnerabilities that arise from the lack of MFA in protecting access to sensitive data and systems on BYOD devices.