For organisations that have teams working off-site or remotely, mobile device management software can help teams work securely and effectively.
With many people currently working from home, IT security has never been more important for businesses. There are a whole host of security vulnerabilities that may arise from working remotely that, left unaddressed, can be catastrophic for organisations. One of the biggest vulnerabilities created by working remotely is the use of mobile devices that are used to access company data. Luckily, there are various pieces of software available which can manage and secure all registered devices, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches and giving your team the ability to work remotely with confidence.
What is mobile device management software?
Software such as Microsoft Intune and Hexnode allows authorised users to manage an organisation’s entire fleet of devices (provided they are registered to the software). This means that you have complete visibility and control over the devices used by your teams and gives you confidence that they are being used securely, efficiently and in the way that they are intended to be used.
What are the features of mobile device management software?
The features of mobile device management software (MDM) are wide ranging and vary from platform to platform, but in general, all platforms cover many of the issues and functions that all organisations would be interested in. Here are some of the key areas that can be improved by utilising this specialist software.
Security
Admins can remotely shutdown and restart devices while also enabling the wiping and editing of device passwords. Updates can also be pushed out to devices so that they are running the latest and most secure versions of operating systems and pieces of software.
Communication
Notifications can be sent to device users with custom messages, and admins can take screenshots of devices. This makes for fast and accurate communication and can help identify problems quickly.
App Management
If there is a particular app that you would like your workforce to be using, it can be pushed out to all (or selected) devices, provided the app is available for that device. Specific apps and features can be disabled if necessary too. Messaging apps can be blocked for instance, or camera features can be disabled if an employee is working in a private or sensitive environment.
IT Support
There are lots of features of MDM that assist us in helping our clients. We can check a wide range of statistics of devices which help us to diagnose problems. We can see RAM and CPU usage, check OS versions, the disk % usage and which network the device is connected to. If a device goes missing or is suspected stolen, the software allows us to see its exact location provided it is connected to the internet, meaning there is a much higher chance that it can be retrieved.
Remote Access
The option of remote access is also available, meaning that admins can take control of a device remotely and control it in real time in order to fix issues or give the user directions. This is especially crucial for those working from home. When receiving new hardware, users are able to simply sign in and start working immediately, as MDM does all the configuring work behind the scenes. This also means that if something does go wrong with the device, or if it is not working correctly, users won’t necessarily need an IT engineer to spend 3 hours diagnosing and fixing the issue. The device can be wiped remotely, reconfigured via MDM, and be ready for the user to sign in again.
Compliance
If organisations allow a “Bring Your Own Device” policy (whereby users may use their own devices to work from, rather than ones provided by the company), MDM software can be used to run checks to make sure the device is 'compliant'. This could include having the latest firmware/patching, ensuring the device is not rooted, has a strong password or uses 2FA, all before allowing the device to access company data, such as confidential files and emails.
If your organisation has team members that work off-site using company technology, or that are currently working remotely due to coronavirus restrictions, it is highly recommended that you explore using mobile device management software. If you would like to know more about how we help our clients stay efficient, secure and connected while working out of the office, please get in touch.
