In this day and age, the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach is increasingly more popular with small and medium sized corporations. Allowing employees to utilize their own personal smart phone for both business and personal use is a win-win: Corporations are able to save a considerable amount of money otherwise needed to supply work-only devices while employees are able to rely on just one device. On the down side, this money saving tactic can cause concerns as business data roams outside the office. Utilizing the BYOD approach can open a brand new set of doors for possible data breaches if Mobile Device Management (MDM) is not implemented.
MDM is an easy and cost effective solution to protect your data. It will allow you to provide employees with access to the internal networks using a device of their choice, while allowing your business to manage these devices remotely. MDM ensures that mobile devices do not allow malicious content into your network but gives employees the freedom to stay productive without breaching corporate policies.
MDM can be installed on smart phones, laptops, tablets, and any other types of hand held devices. The goal is to segregate corporate data, secure emails, secure corporate documents, and enforce security policies. You can enable device encryption, enforce the use of a lock screen passcode, and deploy email and Wi-Fi settings remotely. It also provides access to lock or wipe data off a device that’s been lost or stolen, or that belongs to an employee who has left the company.
MDM allows you to keep your corporate data and processes safe without intruding on your employee’s personal space, which eliminates worry on both sides. If you company utilizes the BYOD approach, MDM is a critical data security solution. Just like any other software, MDM has a wide spread of vendor options to choose from. An outsourced IT security company will have the best knowledge to direct you towards the MDM software that is best suited for your company’s specific needs.