Mobile device management solutions can help organizations reduce the risk.
Users aren’t paying much attention to the security of their mobile devices. Threat actors, on the other hand, are.
According to a recent report, 50 percent of mobile devices have outdated operating systems. More than a quarter have outdated hardware that cannot be upgraded to the latest OS. Mobile apps are also insecure. More than 60 percent of iOS apps and 34 percent of Android apps lack basic security controls, and similar numbers are vulnerable to exposing users’ personal information.
Hackers are exploiting these vulnerabilities in a wide range of attacks, from mobile malware to social engineering to malicious apps. The problem has gotten worse with the rise of remote and mobile workstyles. Employees may use personal devices that can’t be properly monitored and secured, putting the company network at risk.
For many organizations, security tools and policies still haven’t been updated. This has created security gaps in an already massive and quickly growing attack surface, leaving company data and applications unprotected.
What Is Mobile Device Management?
Mobile device management (MDM) can help. MDM is a security solution that includes the software and processes needed to monitor and manage an organization’s mobile devices. In addition to laptops, smartphones and tablets, this could include Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices.
An MDM system consists of two primary components that work together over a secure network. A centralized management console allows IT administrators to configure, manage and enforce policies on enrolled devices. A client-side application or enrollment profile installed on each mobile device applies the policies pushed by the server, using application programming interfaces (APIs) built into the device’s operating system.
MDM provides a consolidated view of all managed devices and their status, including hardware specifications, operating system versions and software installed. It also provides visibility into all users, applications and data. Device registration, provisioning, user profiles, role-based access controls, software installation, application security, URL filtering and more are centrally managed.
How Mobile Device Management Reduces Risk
The growth of the BYOD trend, in which employees use personal devices for work, has made MDM more crucial than ever. MDM solutions isolate corporate data from personal data, allowing IT teams to remotely wipe corporate data from a device that’s stolen, lost or compromised. MDM also enables IT teams to detect suspicious behavior and security threats and address them before users know they exist.
With MDM, IT teams can remotely enforce security policies such as setting strong passwords, encrypting data, and restricting access to certain apps or features. They can also control which applications can be installed on a device by maintaining a catalog of approved corporate apps and blacklisting unapproved ones.
The right MDM solution not only enhances security but also makes the entire process of securing mobile environments more efficient. MDM streamlines onboarding for new employees and devices and automates most mobile security functions. These automated features save time, reduce the risk of errors, and increase productivity for both the user and members of the IT team, who can focus on higher-value tasks.
Overcoming the Complexity of Mobile Security
MDM simplifies security to a degree by centralizing and automating many security tasks, but there are quite a few moving parts. Various components need to be configured to suit the needs of the organization and various groups of users. Correct setup and ongoing monitoring and optimization are needed to realize the full benefits of MDM.
Organizations may also need additional tools for mobile device security. Enterprise mobility management (EMM) expands on MDM by adding mobile application management and mobile content management. It focuses on securing the apps and data on mobile devices, not just the device itself. Unified endpoint management (UEM) represents the evolution of EMM by providing a single console for managing all endpoints, often incorporating advanced analytics and AI for proactive security.
Mobile device threats continue to escalate, and few users are taking steps to secure their smartphones, tablets and other devices. MDM and related technologies can help organizations protect their networks, applications and data from mobile device attacks.
