The smartphone is a remarkable device — a telephone, computer, web browser, camera, fitness tracker, personal assistant, navigation system and media player all wrapped up in a pocket-sized package. It’s no wonder that surveys regularly find that people would rather go without cars, televisions or even food than give up their smartphones.
They’re particularly useful for the millions of Americans now working remotely, facilitating communication and providing easy access to corporate data via services and applications in the cloud. Of course, our reliance on these devices does not go unnoticed by cybercriminals.
Mobile malware has been on the rise for the past two years, and researchers with Proofpoint have charted an astonishing 500 percent increase in such attacks in Europe since February. Delivered via text-based phishing, these malware strains are capable of stealing credentials, recording audio and video, tracking locations and destroying content and data.
Reducing Risk with Remote Management
One reason smartphones and other mobile devices are inviting targets is that users generally take few security precautions. A Verizon study finds that two-thirds of mobile device users don’t take even basic security measures such as using strong passwords or keeping operating systems and apps up-to-date.
Mobile device management (MDM) can substantially reduce the risk of mobile malware and other threats. MDM software enables consistent configuration, policy management, remote updates and security management for mobile devices. IT staff can use MDM to monitor every device that connects to the network, with contextual data on the user’s role, location, device security posture and more.
Remote management is a particularly important feature of MDM. If a device is compromised, IT staff can remotely lock the device to minimize the damage. If a device is lost or stolen, IT can remotely wipe all corporate data to prevent a breach.
In addition, IT administrators can remotely configure devices and apps to ensure consistency with corporate policies, and can create standardized device profiles that restrict access to questionable features, apps and websites. MDM can also be used to deliver application updates and security patches.
Resolving Privacy Concerns
MDM solutions typically include a server component located either in the cloud or on premises which communicates with lightweight agents installed on user devices that access the corporate network. However, this method can create privacy concerns for employees using their personal devices for work. An IT staffer could potentially lock or wipe their device remotely, track their location, or monitor their personal calls and web searches.
Those concerns can be alleviated by implementing “dual persona” management. This is a technique for provisioning and maintaining two separate and independent user environments on the same device. It keeps the user’s personal calls, contacts and data separate from business-related data and use.
One way to achieve this division is through mobile virtualization, which uses a hypervisor to separate hardware resources between two operating systems. Another approach requires users to download and install a mobile client, which creates a work-only container that is kept separate from the rest of the applications and data on the device.
A managed services provider can help you deploy a device management solution while avoiding the privacy and licensing headaches. Verteks can help you create device management policies, configure devices to meet policy requirements and provide ongoing management. Through a centralized management dashboard, we can help you remain in compliance with all software licensing requirements. Call us today to learn more.
