Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Device Management (MDM)

The business landscape is changing with time. Most employees are using their mobile devices in the office. This will give them flexibility as they can use their personal devices to do work.

However, there are various issues associated with the BYOD or Bring your own device policy. You need to think about connectivity, security, privacy, and information management. There are various new devices operating in your workspace.

Enterprises are using MDM or Mobile Device management solutions for solving these problems. MDM solutions are used for managing, securing, and monitoring the tablets, laptops, and smartphones used in your office.

Most security breaches occur due to the BYOD policy. However, you can’t force your employees to use your devices only. You can use MDM solutions for protecting your modern workspace from attackers.

The Evolution of MDM:

MDM solutions are continuously evolving with time. Employees are using more laptops and smartphones in the workplace. Your employees can use their personal devices for accessing your data from anywhere. Most MDM solutions were focusing on the devices only. However, they are now focusing on content management.

There are various Enterprise Mobility Management suites available in the market. They consist of configuration-management tools and privacy policy. You can directly integrate them with your application and content. MSPs can help you in implementing these EMM suites. They can even provide support services by using these solutions.

Pros and Cons of BYOD policy:

There are many pros to the BYOD policy. BYOD policy can help you in reducing office space, costs of equipment, and it will also reduce the burden from your IT staff. It will ensure that your IT team doesn’t need to worry about maintaining your equipment.

There are also some disadvantages of the BYOD policy. Attackers can directly target your employee’s personal devices. They can use their devices for attacking your network. Thus, MDM solutions are very important for every business.

Smartphones and tablets are less secure when compared to desktop PCs. They don’t have any pre-installed antivirus or other security features. Almost every computer will at least have an anti-virus. Your IT managers need to install endpoint security features in every mobile device. Due to this, most companies tell their employees that they can’t send corporate emails from their personal devices.

Hackers can use message-based attacks for attacking your employees. They are using more advanced key-loggers and Trojans for targeting employees.

It is impossible to ban these devices. However, you can still maintain security by using good security solutions.

You should establish strong security protocols. Make sure that only secured devices are allowed in your network. You can create a list of forbidden applications and acceptable use. It is important to ensure that your employees are not visiting dangerous sites.

You can also use security measures like password and remote wipe-in for protecting your network. If your employees have access to sensitive data, then only MDM solutions can protect your network.

Why you should use MDM solutions?

Mobility is currently the most important thing for businesses. The adoption of smartphones and remote workers has increased the importance of mobility. According to a study by Gartner, more than 87% of devices shipped in 2015 were mobile devices. Thus, the EMM market has also grown to $9.8 billion in 2015.

EMM solutions are trending with time and we are only going to see a positive slope in the future. If you are not using an MDM solution, then attackers can easily steal your information.

Devices that are not using an MDM solution are vulnerable to malware attacks. This malware can corrupt or steal sensitive data. If your data is compromised, then attackers can easily break into your corporate network. They can bring down your entire network. This will result in a very expensive data breach. You can lose your customer trust due to this data breach. Also, you will lose a lot of potential revenue due to a data breach. Your loyal customers will move to other platforms. Also, your employees can’t do their work if your entire network is down.

How to find a good MDM solution?

There are various MDM solutions available in the market. You should look for specific features in an MDM solution. Some of the important features that your MDM solution must have are:

• Cloud-based service: Your MDM solution should have cloud access.
• 24/7 network monitoring: Make sure that your MDM solution can regularly monitor your network.
• Remote Configuration and monitoring: It is important to ensure that remote monitoring is available.
• Security policies: It should contain important security policies like passwords and blacklists.
• Logging: This will ensure that you are compliant.
• Backup and restore: It should help you in backing up and recovering your data.
• Alerts for jailbreaking and rooting: If your employees are trying to root or jailbreak their devices, then your MDM solution should alert you.

The MDM solutions will only help you if you are implementing them correctly. You have to make sure that your MDM solutions are working well with your company policies. For example, you need to think about what will happen if some of your employees are terminated. You should create your own policies before looking for an MDM solution. It is important to continuously review your policies. This will ensure that you are following the best security practices.

Conclusion

Mobile devices are going to stay relevant in your workplace. You need to create a plan that will help you in managing these devices. The best way to protect, secure, and control your data is by using an MDM solution. You can use MDM solutions for protecting your data from attackers. It is important to do proper testing before purchasing any MDM solution. Make sure that it is compatible with your security policies.

If you don’t have access to an in-house IT team, then you should consider working with a good MSP like Bleuwire. They will help you in managing and monitoring your employee’s devices. Also, they will help you in finding a perfect MDM solution for your business. If you need more information regarding MDM solutions, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.