According to a recent study, 85% of managers believe teams with remote members will become the new norm. For an employee, this could be great news. For managers, this is an opportunity to improve productivity and efficiency.
But, as an IT specialist, this may cause you to panic. Just think about all those endpoints connected remotely to the network. Honestly, it’s a cyber security nightmare.
Because of this, companies overlook mobile security leaving their data vulnerable to cyber-attacks. These attacks can steal company data, hold your data hostage for a ransom, or sabotage.
To truly protect your data from vulnerabilities you should invest in a combination of Mobile Device Management and endpoint security.
Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of how a combination of MDM and endpoint security can protect and secure your company’s data.
Features of MDM Security
MDM security offers a variety of features to assist IT departments in online security. With the rise in remote work in the last couple of years, employees have enjoyed being able to access company data from the luxury of their homes.
But, this can pose a significant risk to the company network when an employee uses a personal device. One of the features of MDM is the containment of data on devices through security profiles.
These profiles separate a user’s personal information and applications from company data. IT departments will be able to prevent the leaking of company data through third-party applications like messaging services.
Added features include:
- Device inventory and tracking
- Remote wipe
- Application permissions
- Password enforcement
- Corrupted or lost data restoration
A couple of critical features are remote wiping and data restoration. In the event a device is lost or stolen, IT departments can geo-locate the device and wipe it before a data breach occurs.
Likewise, should a system crash corrupt or wipe data from a device, the IT department will be able to restore the device from a backup in the Cloud.
How Does MDM Work?
MDM is a software client that allows IT specialists to deploy security software and policies across the cloud to all company devices. The MDM integrates with an operating system’s application programming interface (API).
The IT department configures the security settings on a central security console, which then pushes the settings onto the remote devices using the MDM agent. The agent allows more than configuring security settings.
IT departments are also able to remotely install applications and software updates over the network as well.
MDM and Endpoint Security
MDM manages security software deployed from the cloud to endpoints. To be clear MDM itself is not security software but manages security software like next-generation firewalls.
As mentioned the rise in remote work has created security vulnerabilities for companies via the cloud.
Traditional firewalls provide IP mapping, SSL, IPSec, and network monitoring. Next-generation firewalls go beyond these standard features and include web filtering, application control, intrusion prevention, and advanced visibility. With an MDM client, next-generation firewalls can be deployed over the cloud to any end-point connected to the network. The increased visibility coupled with MDM allows IT specialists, to monitor all endpoints for threats and attacks.
Should an attack or intrusion be detected, MDM allows IT specialists to react quickly, quarantining the device from the network, and restoring any corrupted files.
If the device becomes completely compromised, lost, or stolen the IT department can even remotely wipe the device protecting the network from future attacks.
Choosing the Right MDM for You
MDM vendors offer a wide array of services for device security and online security. Choosing the right one for your needs means determining the actual needs of your company.
With the increase in remote work, many companies are using business solutions like Microsoft Teams to stay connected. In fact, the number of users of Microsoft Teams nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022.
However, Microsoft does not offer many of the features MDM provides. A key one is not backing up data. Most assume Microsoft protects against data loss, but only in certain scenarios. When it comes to data loss due to user error or a hacker, MDM is crucial.
MDM grants IT departments the ability to store backups and restore devices from those backups. This prevents the loss of data and work and secures a device remotely when lost or stolen.
MDM and Device Security
Remote work can be a security nightmare for IT departments, but it doesn’t have to be. MDM allows IT departments to secure company data and network access across all network endpoints.
But employees should not fear for their privacy. MDM agents can create a separate profile on an endpoint device. These profiles separate personal and company data on the device.
The employee can access all personal information free from the eyes of the IT department. But, can still access company data under the security and supervision of the IT department. It’s the best of both worlds on one device.
Companies can remote wipe, GPS, and control permissions all from a remote location. Choosing the right MDM solution requires assessing the needs of your company.
Contact our team of experts today and discover how you can improve your company’s security through mobile device management and endpoint device security!