Many companies provide their employees with mobile devices to facilitate their work. They generally assume that the use of these devices will remain basic and does not justify the implementation of a Mobile Device Management (MDM) policy. This article highlights the most frequently observed errors regarding the use of mobile devices in a professional context and offers concrete solutions to prevent them. Ignoring these aspects can lead to security breaches, loss of sensitive data, decreased productivity, and a lack of control over the company’s mobile fleet.
1. Not securing physical access to mobile devices
One of the most frequent and easiest to exploit security errors is the lack of device locking. An unlocked or poorly locked mobile device offers a direct entry point for anyone wishing to access it quickly. Without a PIN code, complex password or unlock pattern, or without fingerprint or facial recognition authentication, the information stored on the device, such as emails, contacts, and applications, becomes easily accessible. If employees are given the option to choose their password on their professional device, there is a good chance they will opt for a weak password. According to a NordPass study, in France in 2024, the most used passwords remained passwords like “123456”. This is problematic because it is through this kind of password that physical intrusions can easily occur.
It is also common for mobile phone users to forget to lock their device after use, which is equivalent to leaving their house open. This negligence makes the device and the information it contains easily accessible, even without a complex password, and exposes them more to malicious intentions.
⇒ What solution to implement?
To address these problems, at a minimum, require your employees to set up strong passwords on their mobile devices that have access to professional data. Regarding device locking, you can also suggest they activate the automatic screen lock, directly from their device settings. To simplify all this, you can obviously opt for the implementation of an MDM solution, allowing, among other things, to impose the implementation of a strong password and a common standby time on managed devices.
2. Absence of a Mobile Application Management policy
Another common intrusion route is the presence of malware hidden in mobile applications. Even applications downloaded from official platforms can contain them. These applications may seem legitimate and offer useful features, but in the background, they can manage to collect personal data without the user’s knowledge. It is therefore important to restrict the installation of applications on devices containing professional data, to prevent them from being collected illegally.
⇒ What solution to implement?
It is crucial to disseminate internally a policy related to installable applications on devices, insisting on verifying their reliability. To simplify this process, the ideal is to deploy an application management solution that allows the IT administrator to pre-approve a list of applications, or even push automatic installation. In addition, thanks to a MAM (Mobile Application Management) software, the administrator has the possibility to massively uninstall at any time an unsecured application or one that has become useless for employees.
3. Allowing connection to unsecured public networks
Another important mistake in the use of mobile devices in a company is allowing connection to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Indeed, public Wi-Fi networks are practical since they are free and open to everyone, however this can lead to a lack of security and the presence of malicious users. In a 2024 study, the company Kaspersky examined more than 25,000 public Wi-Fi networks in Paris and found that 25% of them had security weaknesses, making them vulnerable to attacks.
⇒ What solution to implement?
It is crucial to raise employees’ awareness of the risks of public Wi-Fi networks. Recommend they never use them, or if this is not possible, install a VPN to secure their internet connection. Another solution is to provide SIM cards with mobile data access, thus avoiding the need for public networks.
An MDM software like TinyMDM also offers effective protection by allowing to predefine authorized Wi-Fi networks, thus eliminating the risks related to unsecured connections.
4. Not regularly updating the operating system of devices
Neglecting the update of the operating system on mobile devices constitutes yet another vulnerability for the security of the company. By keeping an obsolete operating system, the organization becomes more vulnerable if confidential data is present on mobile devices. It is therefore imperative to establish regular and rigorous update policies for the entire mobile fleet to minimize these risks and ensure an adequate level of security.
⇒ What solution to implement?
Automate operating system updates for your mobile devices using Mobile Device Management software. Simply activate the automatic update of the operating system, so that it updates as needed, without your intervention. This allows you to ensure greater security on your devices and save verification time.
5. Not securing the use of BYOD
The “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) approach allows employees to use their personal mobile devices to access company data, via messaging or professional applications, for example. Although this practice can offer some flexibility for employees and cost advantages for the company, it also introduces security risks. The installation of malicious applications, whether intentional or accidental, can compromise the confidentiality of company communications and sensitive information, such as the interception of professional emails. Such a scenario can lead to a loss of control over company data and a breach of confidentiality of company information. A poorly managed BYOD policy or the absence of adequate security measures can turn a potentially beneficial initiative into a real nightmare for the organization’s IT security.
⇒ What solution to implement?
Authorize the use of one’s personal device in BYOD mode, yes, but on the condition of applying an adequate management policy. Among the management modes offered by TinyMDM, there is BYOD management. This allows to secure access to professional data through the creation of a work profile secured by a password and remotely erasable if needed. On this work profile, we find notably all the applications, files, and professional contacts authorized by the company. It can be deleted remotely if needed.
You have been able to discover in this article some common practices in companies that can harm the security of professional data and solutions to avoid them. In summary, among all the solutions proposed, one comes back systematically: the implementation of a Mobile Device Management solution (MDM solution). It is the most complete solution to easily manage and frame the use of smartphones and tablets in the company. A French mobile device management solution like TinyMDM, specialized in Android, allows to manage different needs and to have more or less access and control over them:
- Personal device on which professional use is authorized (BYOD mode)
- Professional device on which personal use is authorized (WPCO mode)
- Professional device dedicated to professional use only (100% managed mode or kiosk mode)
You can find on our page dedicated to the comparison of our different management modes, the features they have in common and those that differentiate them.
If you want to know more about TinyMDM, do not hesitate to book a personalized demonstration of the software or start a 30-day free trial.