Are you in control of your company's mobile devices?
4 steps to better mobile device management
~If Cisco’s predictions on the number of mobile connected devices 2013 would end with were accurate, there are now more mobile devices on Earth than people. It’s a shocking thought that implies there are over 7 billion devices worldwide.
Test mobile websites, apps and other online services via wireless carriers(3G, 4G) and enterprise WiFi networks using a real mobile device.
While many businesses are clear on the productivity benefits of employees using BOYD (bring your own device) and COPE (corporate owned personally enabled) devices, managing and tracking them is enough to keep any IT manager tossing and turning all night.
With this in mind, here are 4 considerations for creating a mobile strategy that increases security and productivity and facilitates greater control.
#1 Asset management
Cataloging and controlling corporate assets has never been easy. But it’s become increasingly challenging as the trend for using mobile devices at work gathers steam. Today, business people view the smartphone as the must-have tool for personal effectiveness. Managing BOYD or COPE assets should therefore be a top priority for every IT team.
There are two main benefits to good asset management. Firstly, knowing who uses what and where enables you to create policies and procedures that promote greater control. Secondly, effective management enables you to create strategies for – and respond to - security issues. For instance, let’s imagine there’s a security problem on an operating system used by staff. Without accurate, up-to-date information on the devices used by staff you wouldn’t know how many employee devices are affected and what information is being compromised. Such lack of information puts the company’s data at risk.
Keeping an inventory of devices, their operating platform and other pertinent data is crucial to good asset management. It can also help you stay compliant with data security policy. This process can be simplified with mobile management tools such as Mobile Device Management that enable assets to be managed via a single console.
#2 Security management
With theft of laptops and mobile devices at an all-time high, security management is a critical technical control every company needs to employ. But it’s not only laptops, mobiles and iPads that are at risk. USB storage and memory cards pose just as much of a security threat. One of the simplest steps companies can take lies in educating employees on the importance of creating strong passwords/passphrases to prevent brute-forced attacks. Password managers and other technical tools are also recommended in enforcing tighter password controls.
If a physical device does go missing, good asset and security management can enable you to not only track but remote lock/track and wipe devices, preventing data from being accessed and misused. Partial wipes can also be used to remove corporate data when, for instance, an employee takes a BYOD on holiday.~ After all, it’s easy to lose a mobile device after a few Sangrias by the pool.
#3 Managing profiles
Giving people unrestricted access to enterprise-wide resources and the internet via mobile devices is a recipe for disaster. The best way to minimise risk and support your DLP (data loss protection) efforts is to configure profiles that ensure users can only access the systems they need to conduct their business. This is good in theory, but trickier in practice, as it’s not always clear to an IT Manager what access an individual needs. What’s more, an employee's needs can change at any time. Usage might be based on the department or location an employee works in or the type of device, i.e. corporate or BYOD they use. Restriction and distribution of Apps would then be distributed to whatever group or groups the employee belongs to.
For companies with BOYD phones, data segregation can also be used to separate personal from corporate data. This ensures that the controls applied to corporate data don’t apply to personal data. Keeping the two separate can also relieve the legal/security issues that go with personal devices.
#4 Application management
Just as it’s important to keep an inventory of all devices used within the organization, it’s essential to maintain control of all Apps used in the network. Application management supports that by providing visibility on what Apps are used and by whom within the company. Mobile Device Management tools can also facilitate seamless App distribution to groups/devices and remove Apps that are no-longer being used. This helps to eliminate the potential for exploitation of Apps with outdated scripts.
In essence, successful management of mobile devices depends on a number of factors which done correctly save money, free up administration time, reduce security risks and most importantly, provide reassurance that company assets are safe. But to do this, IT managers and C-level employees need to step outside their silos and engage with employees to see how they use – and want to use – mobile devices at work. Only then can companies truly understand the risks and business opportunities mobile devices bring, and implement a mobile device management strategy that works.
Bitesized facts about mobile
- 52% of all adults with a smartphone say they would prefer to use their smartphone rather than sit and think when they have time to spare
- Dual screening – the act of using your mobile alongside watching TV or using a desktop or laptop – is gaining momentum
- The average mobile user checks their phone over 100 times a day