MDM/EMM software is a vital tool for ensuring devices and the data they contain are protected. Operating an MDM effectively extends numerous security benefits to your business. In addition to securing mobile devices and preventing security breaches, an MDM/EMM solution will simplify IT and delight end users.
If the MDM/EMM is properly set up and integrated into your directory environment, and the application of security requirements is automated for the broader security initiative, the extension of security polices to mobile devices happens automatically.
Sometimes MDM/EMM systems are treated as separate tools rather than an integrated part of the security strategy. Conversely, when deployment is well thought out from inception, automation does a great deal of the work for your IT team. Your security personnel can set policies specific to the mobile environment that implement broader security initiatives to your organization, eliminating the need for a translation process every time something changes. The ability to set up an MDM/EMM system as an automated component of the security strategy closes gaps, prevents reliance on manual processes and gives IT managers reassurance that there are no mobile security holes.
One of the biggest mobile security benefits to using an EMM or MDM platform is the power to impact UX.
User experience might not sound like a security benefit, but improving the user experience is an extension of a well configured system using automation. When an employee powers on a new phone and inputs network credentials, the MDM/EMM will stage the device for that user. For instance, if you have field service employees who rely on apps for work orders that require a VPN connection, without an MDM/EMM, those employees would have to enroll, go to the app catalogue, download it, get VPN credentials, know how to connect to the VPN, etc.; frustrating and not user friendly. With an MDM/EMM, your users simply input credentials and get the app, while the solution configures the device to automatically connect to the VPN upon access to the app. Users are empowered to do their jobs immediately. More importantly, when your employees change roles, they’re automatically identified on their device by simple virtue of a job role change in the central directory.
“Here’s what user experience is really about: your employee should look at their device, and by means of what seems like magic, everything they need to do their job is there.” -Josh Anderson, Founder, Acuity
This is where security comes in. The extent to which you can prevent users from taking the liberty to accomplish a task their own way eliminates the security risks of unsanctioned policy workarounds. When you configure a well-managed, automated MDM/EMM that delivers an intuitive, quality user experience, there’s no need for an employee to, for example, put a document in Google Drive and send a link to a vendor, which effectively creates global access, exposing information that your business has no way to track. A great user experience leads to stronger security naturally.
MDM software like AirWatch and MobileIron can be a vital tool in ensuring your devices and the data they contain are adequately protected. Acuity can both deploy and administer your MDM platform as part of an Mobility Managed Services engagement. Contact us to learn more.