How to Secure Corporate Mobile Devices

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From laptops, smartphones, and tablets to scanners, watches, and sensors, the average enterprise now has around 68,000 mobile devices in use. These devices significantly drive productivity, but high reliance on mobility comes with its risks. Over 80% of companies faced a mobile security attack in 2023, collectively costing billions.

With mobile threats becoming more sophisticated and the growing trend of remote work and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD), 84% of organizations plan to increase their investment in mobile device security. Amidst this growing complexity, how can your organization secure its fleet of mobile devices effectively? Here are three steps to mobile security.

Step 1

Remove Blind Spots in Your Mobile Fleet

You can’t spot potential security gaps without a clear understanding of your devices. Visibility is key in identifying any weaknesses and vulnerabilities. When it comes to managing hundreds and even thousands of devices, recordkeeping is often inadequate, inaccurate, or both. A solid security strategy begins with having a comprehensive registry that tracks what devices are out there, their current condition, and the apps, access methods, and services they’re using.

You’ll need to catalog all information about your corporate fleet, including (but not limited to): device type, make and model, operating system and version, serial numbers or unique ID numbers, ownership (company-owned, BYOD, or DaaS), assigned users or departments, locations, installed applications, security requirements and policies, compliance status, average usage, and status (active vs. inactive).

Creating a comprehensive inventory is the first step in securing your mobile fleet, but the process is tedious and time consuming. For this reason, many companies use a centralized Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform that can automatically track each device across every phase of its lifecycle and update inventory in real-time – driving continuity in security and compliance as well as cost savings.

Don’t forget to catalog cost information for mobile devices. Keeping tabs on invoices, costs per month/year, automated billing details, cost allocation history, and more is crucial for allocating security measures effectively, maximizing the return on your mobile investments, and streamlining overall financial management.

Tangoe One Mobile Device Management

Step 2

Assess Your Current Mobile Security Strategy

With an accurate inventory of your corporate fleet, you should now have a clear picture of your current mobile strategy and its impact on security.

Are you taking a Zero-Trust approach to mobile security? A zero-trust security approach assumes that no device or user inside the network can be automatically trusted, and zero-trust mobility model verifies users each time they request access to company resources even if they were authenticated previously. Are you using Zero Trust Network Access tools?
Are you standardizing security practices and policies across the fleet? Compliance requires that all devices comply with security and industry regulations. How are you standardizing security policies across the fleet regardless of ownership? Are you enforcing policies? Do you have an acceptable use policy? Are you leveraging unified endpoint security tools to help with this?
How are you protecting data and personal privacy?
Consider how your company controls the flow of information and the protection of both corporate and personal data, particularly as data and access flow between different apps, devices, and networks. Are you using Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Data Loss Prevention (DPL) tools? How do you protect VPN access? How do your standard security practices extend to mobile devices?
How does your ownership approach impact security? Should you shift your current BYOD policies to better meet challenges in mobile security and management? Sixty-five percent of personally owned devices store corporate data, and they’re responsible for nearly half of all security breaches. Over 80% of companies are switching their ownership approach, according to one Vanson Bourne study.

While BYOD is the most popular device ownership model, it requires close attention to security and a different approach when compared to a corporate-owned model. Organizations must intricately balance personal employee property and sensitive company information.
How are you monitoring devices and using managed service providers? Professional services can help you monitor mobile security and compliance, managing both BYOD and corporate-owned devices daily. Mobile device management services help offload the work of administering and securing your devices across every phase of their lifecycle, from design and configuration to compliance and upgrading.
Are you leveraging AI and automation to speed threat detection and response? Machine learning, behavioral analytics, and process automation empower IT teams to take swift action regarding threat detection, investigation and mitigation. These technologies also reduce the effort needed for quarantining and remediating devices to bring everything back into compliance.

88% say Managed Mobility Services improve security

Step 3

Simplify Security Using Unified Endpoint Management

Mobile security encompasses an extensive range of technologies for gaining visibility and control over the entire fleet. This includes MDM platforms that manage and secure mobile devices, Mobile Application Management platforms that manage and secure mobile applications within a corporate environment, Identity and Access Management that manages user identities and controls access to apps and systems, endpoint security technologies that protect all types of devices from malware, ransomware, and other security threats, cloud-based management platforms that allow IT teams to remotely manage devices, apps, security policies, and data from a single dashboard, Data Loss Prevention systems that monitor and control the movement of sensitive data within and outside the organization to prevent unauthorized access, sharing, or leakage – and much, much more.

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) consolidates these solutions into a single, powerful tool that uses consistent security measures across various hardware brands and different operating models. IT teams and security teams are empowered to oversee, control, and safeguard all end-user devices in a consistent and streamlined manner, significantly driving productivity and cost savings.

Tangoe offers UEM software and fully managed services both as a standalone solution and part of our broader mobility management solutions, allowing clients to leverage UEM as part of their full device lifecycle management.

See how a healthcare provider strengthened and simplified mobile security

5 Reasons to Trust Tangoe for Mobile Security & UEM Solutions

1

Mobility Made Simple: UEM software and ongoing security management services paired with mobile device management services and mobile expense management services

2

UEM Software, Installation, and Integration Services: Software from leading providers and a solution that works across all operating systems while delivering comprehensive integration capabilities

3

Ongoing Management of Mobile Security & Compliance: Comprehensive endpoint monitoring and management, security health checks, and policies based on identity and user roles, ensuring Zero-Trust

4

End-to-End Services for a Total UEM Solution: Experts who can design and implement a custom UEM solution, plus take the lead in building and managing security policies for full regulatory compliance 24/7

5

AI-Powered Mobile Management: Automated workflows across the device lifecycle accelerate mobility device and financial management through machine learning and other advanced statistical methodologies