What is a BYOD security audit and how does ARK help
A BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) security audit is a check of personal phones and laptops to ensure they meet workplace security standards before accessing company data. ARK by MRVL scans your device for breach exposure, weak passwords, phishing risk, and permission misuse, giving you a 0-100 security credit score so you know exactly what to fix.
What a BYOD security audit actually does
BYOD audits exist because personal devices connecting to work networks create security gaps. An audit finds what's exposed: passwords compromised in past data breaches, apps with excessive permissions, stalkerware, phishing-vulnerable behaviour, unencrypted Wi-Fi connections, and cloud storage leaks. Traditional audits happen once a year and cost companies thousands. ARK turns this into something you run yourself, on-demand, for free. You get a single security score plus breakdown of risks in each category, so both you and your employer can see exactly what needs fixing.
ARK's security audit scans explained
ARK runs five core scans in the free tier. Permission check audits which apps can access your location, camera, contacts, and messages. Stalkerware detector finds hidden tracking apps. Breach exposure checks if your email was in past data breaches via integration with Have I Been Pwned. As of June 2026, Shield tier adds dark-web monitoring (watches for your data sold on illegal markets), phishing scanner (tests links and QR codes), Wi-Fi analyser (checks for open networks and weak encryption), password health check, and DNS leak test. Fortress tier adds data-broker exposure (finds which brokers have your personal data), GDPR Autopilot (auto-sends data-subject requests), SDK X-Ray (shows what third-party code your apps run), and voice-clone risk assessment.
Why personal devices need security audits
Most people install hundreds of apps over years without removing old ones. Permissions compound: a photo app from 2021 might still have access to your location and contacts even though you haven't used it in months. A single weak password used on multiple sites can spread breach risk across all of them. Stalkerware (tracking software installed by someone with physical access) affects roughly 1 in 10 device users. An audit forces a reckoning. ARK's one-tap remediation deep-links let you revoke permissions, delete apps, change passwords, and enable 2FA without switching between apps.
BYOD audit for small business owners
If you run a small business and employees access client data or financial systems on personal phones, a BYOD audit is critical. ARK is built for this: you can run it on your own device to model what to ask staff to check, and share your security score with your employer or clients if needed. The Fortress tier includes voice-clone risk detection (warns if your voice could be impersonated in deepfakes) and full GDPR compliance reporting, useful if your business holds EU customer data. Unlike enterprise mobile device management (MDM) tools, ARK doesn't require IT infrastructure or admin access.
Free tier vs paid tiers
ARK's free tier gives permission audits, stalkerware detection, and breach checking at no cost. It's privacy-first: scans run on-device when possible, and no usage analytics are sent back. Shield tier (£2.99 per month or £29.99 per year) adds dark-web monitoring, phishing scanning, Wi-Fi analysis, password health checks, DNS leak testing, and 2FA audits. Fortress (£7.99 per month or £79.99 per year) adds data-broker exposure checks, GDPR Autopilot for automated data-subject requests, SDK X-Ray to see what code third-party libraries run in your apps, and voice-clone risk assessment. All paid tiers include unlimited rescans.
What ARK is not
ARK is not a VPN, antivirus scanner, or password manager. It doesn't store your passwords or monitor them in the cloud. Instead, it flags which passwords appear in past breaches so you know which ones to change. On iOS, any sensitive data (like breach-check results) is stored encrypted in SecureStore, never in plain text. ARK is a diagnostic tool: it identifies risks and gives you one-tap links to fix them, but the actual remediation (changing a password, revoking a permission, uninstalling an app) happens through your phone's settings or the relevant app.
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Frequently asked questions
Can ARK scan my work laptop for BYOD compliance
ARK is iOS-only as of June 2026. If your workplace requires BYOD audits on laptops, you'll need a separate tool. ARK covers the phone side, which is often the weakest point in BYOD policies.
Does ARK remove stalkerware for me
ARK detects stalkerware and tells you the app name so you can uninstall it manually. It doesn't auto-remove apps because that could cause unexpected behaviour; the choice to delete stays with you.
Is ARK safe to use on a company network
Yes. ARK doesn't store or transmit your passwords. Breach data comes from Have I Been Pwned's encrypted API. On free tier, scans run entirely on-device with no analytics sent. This makes it safe to run on corporate Wi-Fi.
Can I share my ARK security score with my employer
You can take a screenshot of your final score and send it. ARK doesn't have built-in sharing to enterprise systems, so you'd need to check with your IT team on how they want to receive audit results.
How often should I run a BYOD security audit
Monthly is reasonable for personal users. If you install new apps regularly or reuse passwords, run it every two weeks. After installing a major app or after a news report of a breach, scan immediately to check if you're affected.