In the modern business world, more and more companies are adopting the Bring Your Own Device policy. BYOD management allows employees to use their own smartphones or tablets to carry out work-related tasks. Indeed, a GlobeNewswire study in 2022 projects that the BYOD market will reach $587.3 billion by 2030. (growing at a CAGR of 16.20% between 2022 and 2030). This trend offers many advantages in terms of flexibility and productivity. However, it also poses major challenges in terms of data security and device management.
Mobile device management, also known as MDM, plays a key role in the adoption of BYOD. MDM solutions have the ability to convert personal smartphones into secure work tools, making a crucial contribution to this practice.
When a company allows its employees to use their own mobile devices to access company resources, it must be aware that it does not have absolute control over the business data stored on those devices.
Securing personal mobile devices
It is therefore essential that employees understand the potential risks associated with using their personal smartphones for business purposes. The very nature of mobile devices, such as smartphones, exposes businesses to security threats, such as cyber attacks, data loss… As a result, every employee needs to be aware of the risks of BYOD. This will enable them to take the appropriate security measures.
Employees should be encouraged to implement security measures on their personal devices, such as using a strong password. It is also important to make them aware of safe browsing practices, avoiding downloading untrusted applications or clicking on suspicious links. Unfortunately, even when employers take steps to raise their employees’ awareness of security, it is difficult for them to check that these measures are actually being put in place.
MDM software offers a solution to this problem. Thanks to the work profile, a management mode offered by certain solutions, you can create a secure environment specifically dedicated to the management of professional applications and data, which you can protect with a password.
Setting up work profile mode using an MDM solution
Using the work profile mode of MDM solutions is good practice for effectively managing BYOD. This guarantees the security of personal mobile devices used for business purposes.
Indeed, the work profile mode makes it possible to create a separate environment on employees’ personal smartphones, dedicated exclusively to their professional activities. This clearly separates business data and applications from personal data. This ensures the confidentiality and security of sensitive company and employee information.
One of the key advantages of work profile mode is the ability to protect this container with a specific password. The administrator can choose various settings, such as the type of password, its minimum size, its time out, the number of times it can be used, and the maximum number of incorrect entries before deleting the work folder. This makes it possible to secure access to the business folder on the device for authorized people only, reinforcing the overall security of the terminal.
In addition, thanks to the work profile mode, IT administrators can define specific policies and restrictions for users. As well as being able to require the use of strong passwords, they can also share professional files and contacts, send notifications to smartphones and even control the installation of remote applications. It should also be noted that the professional section is automatically encrypted upon the creation of the work profile.
By adopting an MDM solution, businesses can also simplify the process of managing employees’ personal mobile devices. Administrators can easily deploy and update applications and work profile settings centrally, without having to interfere with personal data. Everything else on the mobile device is under the control of the users.
BYOD management offers significant advantages in terms of flexibility and productivity. Therefore, it is essential to put in place adequate security measures to guarantee the protection of business data. By implementing MDM software like TinyMDM, you can transform personal smartphones into secure work tools with centralized management and separation of personal and business data. By managing mobile devices in this way, businesses can take advantage of BYOD while reducing potential risks.
21st of June 2023