10 Things to consider as you choose your Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution

Everybody relies on their smart devices to do work. The coming of age of mobile devices see them swiftly replace conventional work methods. On the other hand, their very mobile nature and high user dependence makes them a juicy prey to thieves and hackers. ManageEngine brings you a list of things to consider before you choose a mobile device management solution.

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Transcript

1. 10 Things to consider as you choose your mobile device management (MDM) solu;on Brought to you by
2. 1. Understand your business needs and security standards •  Every industry is different in its func;oning. Defense, health care, IT, retail, and others each have their own security requirements. •  For example, a na;on’s defense sector will have far more protocols and security clearance requirements when compared with its logis;cs industry. •  Therefore, it is essen;al to be aware of your industry's standards to ensure that there is no ambiguity while performing research on the available features of an mobile device management (MDM) solu;on.
3. 2. Know what’s in store while embracing mobility •  An enterprise that decides to go mobile should be aware of the associated pros and cons. •  Let's say that your organiza;on supports BYOD (bring your own device), which allows employees to use their personal mobile devices to perform company-related tasks like accessing work- related content. •  Employees would want the ability to complete rou;ne tasks from their smartphones during their down;me, so they can focus on mission-cri;cal work while at their desks. •  This invariably poses a risk in the form of data leakage due to factors such as malware or device theT.
4. 3. Understand app management and security •  Managing mobility in organiza;ons involves combaVng security risks concerning devices and apps. •  Exis;ng security awareness programs are targeted towards desktop users. •  If an enterprise is looking to adapt to a mobile environment, these programs have to be revisited to focus on the usage and risks involved with mobile devices. •  An enterprise should educate its employees to use trusted sources and avoid suspicious third-party sites for app downloads. It should discourage the habit of tapping “Con;nue” during app installa;ons. •  An ideal MDM solu;on has features that prevent suspicious apps from being installed.
5. 4. Segment your organiza;on based on level of trust •  Segments in an enterprise can be either hierarchical or departmental. •  Regardless, certain employees might have access to data that won't be available to others such as a taxi service provider whose drivers require passengers' pickup and drop-off loca;ons. •  Their mobile devices can be provisioned to show only this data on an app. •  However, their superiors can access further details such as passenger email ID and age, which they can use to make data driven decisions. •  To maintain ;ered protec;on, top-level employees require stronger encryp;on and more flexibility.
6. 5. Set policies and restric;ons for devices and apps •  An ideal MDM solu;on would let you push policies onto mobile devices. •  By seVng up policies, you can restrict certain device func;ons. •  Consider the following situa;on: your company has come up with a breakthrough product idea in a market with no other offering that is even remotely similar to yours. •  Your R&D team is working on materializing this product. •  To ensure that there is not even the slightest data leak, you need to disable data distribu;on by preven;ng local prin;ng or data storage.
7. 6. Iden;fy non-compliant devices • Jail broken and rooted devices always pose a greater risk, because they're an easy target for malware and cyber adacks. • You need a system that can quaran;ne devices, so threats cannot spread aTer detec;ng malware, app risks, network adacks, and other threats. • Enterprise data is regularly compromised simply because employees’ devices aren't compliant with the enterprises' security policies. • An ideal MDM solu;on should detect whether a device is compliant. • It should also let you device lock or remote wipe non-compliant devices and bar them from your organiza;on’s network.
8. 7. Create awareness among users • Employees might find an MDM solu;on to be an invasion of their privacy. While this isn’t true, you must take steps to ensure that there are no misconcep;ons regarding user privacy invasion. • An enterprise has to educate its employees on the need for securing mobile devices, while also making them feel comfortable about the MDM setup. • This can be done either by developing an end-user license agreement (EULA) or a general acceptance agreement that is shared and signed by the employees.
9. •  Repor;ng and audi;ng are common approaches for guaranteeing compliance with regula;ons and organiza;onal policies. •  In order to prove compliance, you would have to run regular audits. Along with running regular audits, an ideal MDM solu;on should be able to push secure apps and enable patching and updates for both devices and apps to ensure that the devices are compliant. 8. Audit regularly for compliance
10. 9. Embrace new technology with a bit of cau;on •  There are plenty of device manufacturers out there, each running its own flavor of opera;ng system—be it Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry, Symbian, and others. •  Everyday, enhancements are made to devices to make them faster, increase their storage space, and more. •  To make sure that your employees have what they need to be effec;ve, you would have to survey and study every new device enhancement and app technology. •  Ideally, the bugs have been worked out before spending your money.
11. 10. Deploy a good MDM solu;on •  In mobile device management, no single solu;on is one-size-fits-all. •  An MDM solu;on, such as ManageEngine Mobile Device Manager Plus, is customizable to match an individual organiza;on’s requirements. •  Many industries such as health care, retail, and IT can use MDM to their advantage through its ability to cater to their unique needs. •  Ask your vendor to help you adopt and establish effec;ve day-to-day MDM prac;ces.
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