What is Mobile Device Management and does your company need it?

The world has gone online and we are on the go with mobile devices, using them for both personal needs and work. Businesses cannot ignore the benefits and realities of workplace mobility. Employees use smartphones and tablets not only to browse the Internet, but also to access corporate email, documents and applications.

Mobility brings many benefits to the workplace, increasing employee productivity by allowing them to work anywhere, anytime. But with increased productivity comes the threat of decreased safety and the need for greater corporate responsibility.

A mobile device in the hands of an employee is a threat to the company’s security

An employee’s smartphone is often outside the “perimeter” and its use cannot be strictly regulated. Built-in biometrics, remote lost device lock, and data safes can protect your device from physical tampering to some extent. But users still remain vulnerable to viruses and cyber attacks. A smartphone or tablet connected to a corporate information system can be used by attackers to access company data. As an example, we can recall the history of the Garmin company. Criminals attacked it with encryption viruses. The company was forced to pay a ransom to the ransomware in order to restore the functionality of the client applications.

Unified Endpoint Management (endpoint control system) and in particular Mobile Device Management (a specialized solution for managing mobile devices of company employees) can solve the problem. MDM is a feature of most popular UEM systems.

What is MDM?

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a set of services and technologies that provide control and protection of mobile devices used by the organization and its employees. Mobile devices include smartphones, tablets and specialized computers such as data collection terminals or mobile payment systems. The term MDM is very broad. The general purpose of such systems is to manage and protect mobile devices that have access to the enterprise infrastructure. However, the key task they solve is not so much the management of the devices themselves, but of the applications installed on them.

This is where the most important function of MDM systems comes from – MAM (Mobile Application Management). It works with the programs that you can access information inside the “perimeter” of the company. Criminals look for vulnerabilities in them. Unintentional data leakage due to the human factor also occurs through applications.

Modern MDM solutions solve several tasks at once. The organization protects all “access points” to corporate information and searches for possible threats. The company’s employees get access to various corporate services, starting with e-mail and messengers and ending with corporate systems (ERP, CRM, logistics, etc.). MDM solutions also monitor data usage remotely. And with the help of MDM, you can organize remote support for users – help them configure devices, install or update applications.

The MDM system gives corporate IT services very wide opportunities, for example:

allows you to install and remove applications and security certificates;
prohibits the use of unreliable applications and services;
allows remote configuration of the device in accordance with the policies adopted by the company;
allows data encryption on the device;
provides work with lost devices: finding their location, blocking, destroying confidential data in memory.

Types of MDM

There are four main types of MDM: BYOD, CYOD, COPE and COBO. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages, and the right model for a business depends on its needs.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

The prevailing BYOD approach in corporate mobility gives companies tangible benefits. Keeping the freedom of choice of equipment, employees provide themselves with the necessary devices. This is especially important for small companies that want to reduce the cost of purchasing the necessary equipment.

However, it also comes with some risks, as the company cannot monitor or manage the devices, which can lead to security breaches and data leaks, as well as compatibility issues.

CYOD (Choose Your Own Device)

CYOD, or choose your own device, is a model where the company provides a list of approved devices for employees to choose from. This gives the company more control over the devices being used and can help avoid compatibility and security issues.

The disadvantages of CYOD are that it can be more expensive for the company, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest devices and operating systems, and employees can be less engaged if they are not using their personal devices.

COPE (corporate, personal)

COPE, or corporate personal, is a model in which the company provides devices for employees to use, but employees can also use them for personal purposes. The benefits of COPE are that it makes devices easier to manage and secure, and employees are less likely to use their devices for personal purposes.

The disadvantages of COPE are that it can be more expensive for the company and employees may be less satisfied with the devices they are provided.

COBO (Corporate, Business Only)

In the COBO model, a company provides employees with corporate devices that can be used only for work purposes. This is the most secure model because it helps keep work and personal data separate and ensures that devices are only used for work-related activities.

However, providing devices for each employee can be expensive, and some employees may prefer to use their own devices.

Benefits of MDM

Enhanced security

MDM protects your business data and ensures that your company maintains control over sensitive information. If a mobile device is lost or stolen, MDM can remotely lock and erase all data. Remote lock and wipe capabilities allow companies to protect devices and data.

With MDM, your business gets centralized control over policies, applications, and additional features. Mobile device management software can block dangerous websites and content from employees. It protects corporate data and applications from the threat of malware and data leakage.

Containerization is an important function of protecting corporate information for mobile workers. Thanks to containerization, corporate data and applications are isolated from employee data. Also known as “sandboxing”, this feature prevents attacks on mobile devices (such as through text or apps), risky user activity, and even simple cases of interaction with certain applications with sensitive corporate information.

Cost reduction

MDM works across multiple operating systems and enables your company to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in the workplace to save on employee device costs. Eliminating these large expenses frees up funds for the core activities of your business.

Even though these are personal mobile devices, the cleaning and containerization capabilities reduce and contain the negative impact of unsafe website visits and infected downloads. Another benefit of mobile device management software is that it allows you to track the use of mobile devices by employees. The software notifies administrators and can even block costly activities such as exceeding mobile data and minutes usage.

Increasing efficiency

Because MDM software is managed centrally, it reduces time and resources spent on IT administration. The software can install, update, and remove programs, policies, and settings from a single control panel across multiple operating systems. This makes it easy to provide a consistent mobile experience for new employees, update security settings for current staff, and revoke access for personal devices that are no longer in use.

MDM also provides asset management tracking, so your company can easily identify which employee has which mobile device. The software allows your IT team to provide upgrades and replacements for your employees’ mobile devices as needed.

Compliance with standards

Depending on your industry, companies are legally required to adhere to certain standards and regulations related to data protection. Compliance concerns are paramount for companies dealing with sensitive customer or financial information. You can easily stay compliant with data management and password protection with MDM.

Easy inventory tracking

Depending on the size of your business, you may have multiple mobile devices per employee, and those devices are used by multiple teams of employees. Therefore, tracking and controlling this equipment can be extremely difficult. Device inventory management allows you to track all personal devices used in your business, including information about the device’s physical hardware health and software health.

With inventory management, you can monitor usage and identify potential problems before they occur. Inventory management ensures that all of your team’s devices are up-to-date and easy to manage.

Application usage control

Application management helps streamline the setup and onboarding processes when adding new devices to your network. You can easily configure the devices with the necessary applications for your team. In addition, mobile device management software allows you to ban and monitor apps loaded on those devices to ensure they are being used correctly and prevent accidental or malicious behavior.

The future of your business

If your company doesn’t have MDM in place, you’re at constant risk of corporate data leaks and ransomware attacks. MDM minimizes risk, delivers cost savings and efficiency, regardless of the operating systems or personal devices your employees use.

Wise IT is an official partner of world-renowned IT solution providers! Find out which MDM service meets the individual needs of your business — order a free consultation today:

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