Holiday time is fast approaching, and it’s inevitable—Your IT Help Desk will be bombarded with emails that say, “I have a new mobile device, and I want to use it here at work. What do I need to do?” As a result, now is the time to take a look at your mobile device management strategy before the mad rush.
Mobile device management deals with deploying, securing, monitoring, integrating and managing mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, in the workplace. The intent is to optimize the functionality and security of mobile devices within the enterprise, while simultaneously protecting the organization’s network.
Experts agree that the use of mobile devices in the workplace can increase productivity and have an immediate return on investment for an organization. In addition, having the option to work outside the four walls of one’s office space and reduce electricity costs can save organizations money, not to mention the direct and indirect benefits of closely connecting with technology.
In a recent Security Intelligence blog post, Paul Robinson outlines a simple approach to mobile security that warrants repeating here. His tips on crafting a mobile policy are as follows:
- Start by identifying what you are looking to control. Administrators don’t really care about social media apps or family pictures–what they really care about is the company data/property that can reside on those devices.
- Ensure that your employees, starting with the Chief Executive Officer, understand the value of corporate data and why losing it can be so damaging.
- Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt. Doing so can be the difference between “I lost my laptop” and “I lost my laptop, and we are now liable for millions of dollars in damages.”
- Pass codes are necessary to protect the valuable corporate data on these devices.
- Talk to your peers. Form user groups and look for organizations that you can join that will give you a forum to discuss this issue. Trust me, you are not alone.
For more information on establishing a simple Mobile Device Management strategy, see the full Security Intelligence article.
