What is Mobile Device Management?

The Essential Need for Mobile Device Management: Mitigating Cyber Threats and Protecting Sensitive Data in Today's Mobile-Dependent World

Mobile device management (MDM) is a type of security software used by IT departments to protect, monitor, and manage employees' mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and even laptops that are deployed across multiple mobile service providers and across multiple operating systems being used in an organization.

The exponential growth of smartphones and other mobile devices has resulted in organizations being forced to combat a plethora of challenges. Certain vulnerabilities arise when employees utilize personal devices for professional purposes. For instance, sensitive business data and information that have been accessed may be at risk of being unprotected or compromised due to inferior security framework present if the person's device were to be lost or stolen. These challenging issues illuminate the necessity and indispensability of adequate mobile device management in the sphere of cybersecurity.

MDM tools developed to deal with such challenges are designed to ensure that personal devices are suitable and reliable for use within a corporate setting. One crucial component of an efficient MDM system is the ability to segregate business and personal data. This bifurcation allows users unrestricted use of their device for personal purposes, safe in the knowledge that their professional segment can be remotely swabbed clean in the eventuality of the device being lost or stolen.

Compatibility should ideally extend across multiple variants and devices. Regardless of graduates in Samsung, iPhone, or Windows devices, the MDM software should function seamlessly across different platforms. One device flitting flawlessly from platform to platform is the type of functionality an efficient MDM system strives towards.

In addition to provisioning and supporting policies, the purpose of mobile device management is to optimize the functionality and security of mobile devices within the enterprise while minimizing cost and downtime. As such, effective MDM solutions should deliver remote configuration and data synchronization for applications and corporate settings. The server and management console for MDM enables IT admins to make and enforce policies for use and security including passcode complexity rules or device encryption if the device is on-boarded successfully.

Some examples of MDM-enabled tasks are setting and enforcing encryption settings, setting password rules and resetting passwords, setting up backup and file synching rules, setting rules related to access to messaging and peer-to-peer communication, rolling out and updating applications, tracking asset inventory and compiling usage logs, locating and tracking devices, and remotely wiping or locking lost or stolen devices.

In the context of MDM being used as antivirus, an MDM system gives IT departments the ability to manage APIs and exchanges to protect from malware. Remote configuration and updating of antivirus software on devices is crucial for maintaining a strong first line of defense against malicious threats and attacks that could cause potentially catastrophic data breaches. Other forms of security such as web filtering, phishing protection, intrusion detection, data leak prevention (DLP), remote lock, wipe abilities, encryption enforcement, and firewall controls can also be managed through MDM.

As enterprise mobility continues to explode, device diversity grows and organizational requisite of sharing information grow exponentially, IT managers will continue to deploy more effective MDM systems, working to prevent any potential threat surface that grows along with these trends. With the right framework and infrastructure, MDM solutions can make a dramatic impact in securing sensitive data and empowering employees to work efficaciously irrespective of where they are. As business structures continue modernizing and becoming more convoluted, effective MDM Systems will continue playing a critical role in ensuring that data remains secure.

Mobile Device Management FAQs