Mobile Device Management and How it Can Protect Your Company’s Data
Mobile devices are the most rapidly growing type of software in the United States and all over the world. Because they are expanding so rapidly, businesses are having a difficult time keeping up with the increasing complexity of what needs to be managed, especially with regards to security. When an employee needs to access company information or resources and does so from a mobile device, he or she could be putting the company at risk for a security breach. The main way that companies have been dealing with mobile devices is by using mobile device management (MDM) systems. I have found that there are a number of different characteristics of such systems that allow companies to decrease security risks.
Administration Console
An administration console is able to assist with data protection by showing what all company-owned mobile devices are doing, regardless of who has them, what platform they are running, and the type of device. This will also allow for directory services to be used to automatically update all of the devices without requiring input from the user. This will make sure that the latest anti-spyware and anti-virus software is being utilized, which will decrease security threats to the mobile devices.
Logging and Reporting
Everything that is done on company-owned mobile devices that has a mobile device management system installed will be logged. This will allow the behavior of people on mobile devices to be monitored to make sure that they are not accessing company data through channels that have not been secured or putting the entire network at risk by downloading software from untrustworthy websites. If a problem should occur, it will be easy to tell where it came from and therefore make it simpler to resolve the issue.
Creating Profiles
It is very easy to create profiles through an MDM system that have their own sets of restrictions, passwords, and other security features that can be added to the mobile devices when they are first deployed. This will allow different layers of security to be added to devices depending on the level of the employee within the company.
Containment Management
Perhaps one of the most useful features of an MDM system is that of containment management. This is best for mobile devices that are regularly being used to access sensitive information that could do a lot of damage if it is stolen. With containment management, it is now possible to isolate any applications or information that is specifically connected to corporate data from the rest of the mobile device. When an employee is using the device for personal reasons, there will be less restrictions, but if any actions should veer off into the realm of corporate information, then the user will enter a closed environment that will reduce the chances of sensitive data being removed by hackers and used for nefarious purposes.
Create Personal Terms of Use
It is easy to create customized terms of use statements that need to be reviewed and signed by the employee who is receiving the phone in order to be able to use it. These customized terms of use statements can include specific instructions regarding accessing company information and lay down guidelines for what will happen if such actions are taken. This will provide the employee with full information regarding how serious a situation like that could be and the necessity of data protection, thus reducing the chances that a serious data breach could occur.
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