The trends that should be driving your MDM strategy

In a world where logistics, processes, and systems rely on the world’s workforce using mobile devices for work-related tasks, one of the big issues facing businesses is how to keep track of where all those devices are, what they’re doing, and the level of risk they pose to data security.

From smartphones and laptops used in the field and fixed PC desktop systems in offices, the security risk to businesses and the sensitive information they hold exponentially increases every day, either through abuse or misuse, device loss, or targeted cybercrime.

In order to mitigate this risk, businesses need to have a robust and effective approach to device management, and this needs to go beyond preventing users from accessing certain apps and systems.

Smart businesses carry out a regular audit of their connected or networked devices to understand where weakness or vulnerability exists and to have real-time eyes on the status of any given device at any given time.

The question today is not so much how you can keep track of device volume and location (how many machines you have and where they are), but more about how you monitor the way in which those machines are used, whether they’re compliant with the law and with internal policy, and how secure they are.

The answer, obviously, is to manage your device portfolio through mobile device management (MDM), but even this can be problematic: many organisations find it a struggle to keep up with the fast pace of device turnover.

A recent survey estimated that only a quarter of businesses have all or nearly all their devices enrolled in their MDM activity, and a similar number admitted nearly all their devices were running on an old version of their operating system. Additionally, only half of those businesses surveyed believe their MDM solutions are effective.

All of this serves to underline the fact that in a worst-case event, a great many organisations would find themselves on the wrong side of current data protection legislation.

With growing inventory comes a growing need to evolve device management in a way to mitigates risk, so part of identifying how best to respond to the challenge of failing MDM practice is understanding the trends that drive how devices are allocated, managed, and used.

1. Trust no one!
   
   

Having a blanket policy on device permissions that are based on the device profile rather than the person using it or where the machine is based is a good starting point for device management. Too many businesses allocate more permissions to office-based staff than to remote workers in the mistaken belief that the office is secure. It isn’t, and it’s a flawed criterion on which to base permissions allocation. Zero trust deployment that requires regular and consistent device and user verification and authentication not only mitigates the risk of data loss or compromise, but also reduces the costs associated with those data breaches.

2. VPNs are so yesterday
   
   

There is still a broad inclination for end users to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to share data internally. In principle, a VPN will extend a private network across a broadly public IT system, such as a networked office. But if devices are placed on internal networks with no real thought given to the permissions allocated to each machine, there is an assumed level of trust that is either not necessary or earned, and device security is not necessarily monitored on a constant basis.

If device security is a key priority in your business, then safer protocols such as encrypted transport layer security (TLS) that have in-built identity-aware proxies and can be configured with two-factor authentication are not only a better security solution but also provide a better user end-user experience.

3. Consider changing your devices 

The days when we installed software manually are long gone. In modern business the internet is a critical business tool and most software as a service (SaaS) applications we use to support the delivery of our goods and services are cloud-based.

So, the question you really need to be asking yourself is whether you actually need the PCs and conventional devices you’re currently using. Maybe machines like the Chromebook that have been designed to integrate with cloud-based applications and have more security built in would offer a more streamlined approach to MDM. For the latest competitive pricing on all devices speak to an expert at Your Comms Group, or feel our renewal reminder here for the best deals 4 weeks before your renewal date.

4. Prioritise remote-friendly solutions

Hybrid and remote working are no longer the temporary workarounds that got businesses through the pandemic. Even organisations that may have been sceptical about how realistic remote working is might prove to have been won over by the agility and flexibility they’ve enjoyed. What that means is that cloud-based and remote MDM and security options are now more popular than on-premises solutions.

Businesses that need to address their MDM strategy now need to phase out legacy technology that’s hard to secure and move to contemporary solutions that support modern authentication standards.

5. The power of multi-factor authentication (MFA)

There’s now a lot of evidence to show that devices that benefit from multi-factor authentication are up to 99% less likely to be compromised in a security breach. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is better than SMS, which is better than none – but MFA is king.

The downside of MFA is that it can be frustrating for employees who just want to get in and get on, but when the alternative is a vulnerable system that may be at risk of being hacked, that frustration is probably worth living with. By transitioning your device portfolio to Universal 2 Factor authentication you can smooth the end-user experience whilst ensuring your assets enjoy the most up to date security currently available.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you to reinvent your mobile device management strategy, so it’s fit for your business purpose, please get in touch for a free, friendly, no-obligation chat. Book a meeting with our expert Josh today.