Mobile Device Security and Management

Today, mobile devices such as phones and tablets are used just as much as, and in some cases more than, traditional laptops and desktop computers for both personal and business communications, banking, and more. However, the security of these devices and the sensitive information stored and accessed in the apps is rarely given much thought. Indeed, our mobile devices are one of the weakest links in both our personal and corporate data security, and it is no wonder that a high percentage of data security breaches occur from neglecting the importance of mobile device security measures.

There are several ways to ensure security of your device’s contents. Good practices include: 1) Password protecting your phone with a unique and difficult password not used anywhere else. 2) Changing your passwords monthly or quarterly and storing them safely (see password management post). 3) Use Two Factor Authentication for application access such as One Time Passwords (OTPs). 4) Keep your phone and all your applications updated as soon as any new security updates are released. 5) Install only secure trustworthy applications and services. 6) Control the permissions that the applications are given (such as location, camera, microphone, and other data). 7) Connect to only secure networks and use mobile VPNs to access important data. Managing all of these yourself can be a daunting task. Even more daunting is trying to ensure that all your staff are using these measures to keep your sensitive internal corporate data and communications protected. That is where Mobile Device Management services come in.

Mobile Device Management is a service which allows an organization to control the security measures of mobile devices that have access to their corporate data and communications. Whether the mobile devices belong to the organization or are owned by the employees themselves, mobile device management can be deployed by installing special software on the devices which allows for centralized management and support of the devices’ applications and security. The level of security and control over the devices can be decided by the organization’s management. With this service, you can ensure that your corporate or personal information which is used and accessed on your mobile devices is not left vulnerable to hacking. Even if your device is stolen or an employee is compromised, the device management service can remotely wipe your device clean, removing all the information that could have been revealed to the wrong parties.

For more information on how you can put Mobile Device Management to work for you, contact Movaci here.