Key Steps to Secure Mobile Devices in Your Office
When employees are granted unlimited freedom and access to your office’s network on their mobile devices, there’s a significant potential for business data loss anytime a mobile device is stolen, lost or exchanged. If that information gets into the wrong hands, it could cost your organization everything. Especially for corporate and government organizations, that’s not a risk you want to take. Thanks to a deeper understanding of cybersecurity and technology, there are steps you can take to prevent loss or manipulation of important business documents and information through mobile devices.
Implement a mobile device security policy.
Step one is having clear guidelines and rules for your employees on how they can operate their mobile devices and access company information.
For tips on how to write a good mobile security policy, grab these tips.
This type of policy may include items such as:
- Device-specific restrictions – In the case that employees are using their own devices on your network, you may want to specify what types of devices may be used.
- Guidelines for social media – This may include limiting what social media sites they can have access to or specific channel features.
- Restrictions on applications – Potentially one of the easiest ways for hackers to get in is through third-party apps by means of malware and data leakages.
- Emphasis on user-authentication – Encourage employees to implement strong passwords and two-factor authentication, when appropriate.
Capitalize on new technology for added protection and control.
Today there are a variety of systems that are designed to operate as your first defence against cybersecurity. Here are some systems you may want to consider implementing within.
A. Utilize a Mobile Device Management platform to maintain utmost control over the security of your data internally.
MDMs give your IT department end-to-end security capabilities, allowing them to monitor, manage and secure all mobile devices on your office network. This means you can have complete control over mobile apps, network and data usage through the mobile devices using a single software solution.
This type of software allows you to manage both company-owned mobile devices and personal devices that use your network.
B. Implement antivirus and anti-malware software for invisible security.
Now that malware and viruses can enter mobile devices through something as simple as text messages, it’s important to have this extra layer of defence in place.
C. Set up remote virtual work environments.
These allow employees to access your companies systems remotely but because that data is only viewed and not stored on the device, it further protects your company’s information. If an employees device is stolen or exchanged, the sensitive data isn’t available on the device.
Audit your security measures regularly.
You might have all the right measures and software in place, but sometimes you just never know if there’s a vulnerability until you’ve tested it yourself. This is where third-party security companies come into play. They can audit your mobile security, perform testing on different mobile devices being used within the organization and help you identify any holes in your defense system.
One of the best ways to protect yourself is to be proactive.
Educate your employees on cybersecurity.
Many companies already provide employees with policy and security training in the workplace. Adding cybersecurity to your agenda is one the best ways to help prevent a costly breach from happening in the future.
Studies have found that nearly 35% of data breaches are caused by human error alone. Considering the amount of time that your employees spend on their phones, it makes it that much more important to spend the time teaching and equipping your employees in this manner.
Some of the topics that you may want to address include:
- Care of devices when out of the office.
- Understanding and recognizing phishing scams.
- Accessing corporate information on a secure network to reduce data risks.
*Bonus Tip: If you want to offer wifi connectivity to your guests and customers, implement a separate, password-protected network that will allow your customers to benefit of staying connected on the go, but it will also protect you against additional mobile security threats.
Every day technology is progressing, especially mobile technology. The smartest thing to do is to be proactive and protect yourself before it’s too late.
