SUMMARY
The fast-paced digital landscape of business has made many adopt a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy in the workplace because of the benefits such as cost saving and increased productivity. However, this can pose a security risk to data if devices are not properly managed. It can be difficult because some employees don’t understand how or know why securing their device is important. Even if your users have company devices some may be connecting personal devices, emailing data or transferring data to unmonitored devices. With the amount of personal and business data employees have access to, hackers can target this data through unsecure devices via attack vectors such as malicious apps and phishing.
WHAT IS EMM?
When BYOD began to grow in popularity mobile device management software was enough to quash the security concerns it brought with it, but now it barely meets the requirements businesses need for their mobility strategy.
Enterprise mobility management (EMM) is basically the umbrella term for a host of services and technologies that allows a business to remotely apply policies and protocols to their mobility. All together the services aim to provide secure access to data as well as securing individual devices. In other words EMM allows you to secure, monitor & manage both your devices and data.
DEVICE MANAGEMENT
With the ever-changing roster of devices and operating systems used in the workplace it can be difficult to manage them all, even without a BYOD policy. IT administrators can remotely monitor and track devices and enforce security policies such as password requirements and two-factor authentication. Through an EMM console devices can individually be wiped if they are lost or stolen to stop unauthorised access to data. It can also be used to control expenses as data usage and other mobile functions can be monitored and turned off when necessary.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Employees constantly need access to data whether at work or on the move but how can a business be sure that their data is properly secured on a device? An EMM solution allows files to be stored and distributed within a secure container which adds an extra layer of security on top of just securing a device. Active management enables control over who has access to files and monitoring of files if they are downloaded or transferred. EMM also gives the opportunity to keep audit logs so you have a record of who is accessing data & how it is being handled.
APPLICATION MANAGEMENT
This involves enforcing policies on individual apps rather than on a whole device. End-users can securely download business apps while still having unrestricted access to their personal apps and data. Through approved apps IT can manage the data within them and monitor usage but they can also scan for unauthorised apps that violate policy. Apps can be seamlessly updated, installed and removed over-the-air without the knowledge of the user, minimising the headache for everyone involved.
EMM & GDPR
Businesses are now realising that major changes are needed in terms of their mobility strategy to comply with GDPR. The new regulation takes a very serious approach to maintaining data security and has the authority to issue huge fines for noncompliance or a data breach, which indiscriminately applies to businesses of all sizes who handle the data of EU citizens.
A survey from Syntonic found that 87% of businesses rely on their employees for access to business apps and data on their personal devices, highlighting how many opportunities there are for a data breach. An EMM solution provides total control over business mobility, from tracking individual devices if they are lost or stolen to wiping specific files that are no longer needed. It offers a great compromise for employers and employees because costs are saved by not issuing company-liable devices which in turn allows