Securing Business Assets:
Managing Risks from Common Devices
Business assets such as PC’s, laptops and mobile phones are pretty common. It’s unusual to start a job and not receive at least 1 of these devices from your new company. In some cases, users are welcome to bring their own devices if preferred. All of these devices however can bring threats to your LAN and your business if not secured and managed properly. This brings us to device management and how to protect digital assets via MDM.
What Is Mobile Device Management
The most common form of securing a mobile asset, such as a laptop, is via mobile device management (MDM). In a nutshell an MDM solution provides IT administrators with “control” over that device. Using pre-set configurations, they can limit non-admin level users from certain settings on the device itself. From installing unauthorised programmes, they can schedule firmware/software updates and backup or secure data. There are myriad other functions such as remote monitoring and troubleshooting.
I’ll add here that should a device leave the company and be inadvertently lost or stolen, an MDM tool allows businesses to remotely wipe the local data stored. Take a situation where an asset becomes compromised, like being infected by a virus from a less secure network. IT administrators receive alerts for prompt preventative action to isolate the device.
Prioritising Asset Security Against Cyber Threats
Asset security is imperative in the fight against Cybercrime to keep your business safe during day-to-day operations. As mentioned in part 1, 43% of all breaches are caused by “insider threats”. I imagine the majority of these are completely unintentional, but caused by compromised devices being connected to a company’s private network. For example, introducing something that has been carried in externally and bypassing all the rigorous checks and balances applied by a network edge security appliance.
What is mobile device management and how can you protect digital assets? Continue the conversation by reaching out to me or visit iwTECH, one of our six technology specialisms at iwGROUP.