Security

4 Pointers for Mobile Security Success

Ready to deploy new security tools for your mobile users? Here is a handy cheat sheet to help make the rollout a success.

Wylie Wong

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Wylie Wong is a freelance journalist who specializes in business, technology and sports. He is a regular contributor to the CDW family of technology magazines.

For businesses looking to make sure their employees' mobile devcies are secure, they should follow these steps:

1. Implement identity access management. You want a solid foundation that will let you manage all your security policies within a single dashboard, says Norm Messenger, chief security officer at global consulting firm Inspirage.

2. Standardize on the latest operating systems. Inspirage migrated from Windows 7 to Windows 10 because the new operating system features BitLocker full-disk encryption and other security enhancements, including data loss prevention and Device Guard to keep malware away. Furthermore, phones with the latest iOS and Android OSs have better native security, including full-disk encryption, Messenger says.

3. Get manager buy-in. Explain to managers the benefits of the mobile security measures and that the company is serious about security. Once you have the managers on board, the employees will accept the changes, Messenger says.

4. Run a proof-of-concept test before full deployment. Test the enterprise mobility management software and your security policies by piloting the devices with a small group of employees. The user feedback will let you troubleshoot and determine what’s best, says Levi Johnstone, technology engineering team lead at Edward Rose & Sons, a real estate development and management company.

For more on enterprise mobility management and mobile security, check out, "EMM Helps Companies Protect Mobile Devices — Near and Far."