Employees have increasingly turned to their mobile devices, such as phones and tablets, for work purposes. These devices grant flexibility beyond that offered by other devices, such as laptops, due to their portability and constant connectivity, allowing employees to work from home or on the go.
This increased level of access, however, also bears the biggest risk for businesses. Employees’ ability to protect these devices with company networks and firewalls is void when they use their devices outside the office. This leaves potentially sensitive company data vulnerable, protected only by the individual discretion of the employees, who must ensure they do not connect to unsecured networks, install unreliable apps, or misplace the devices themselves. Check to see if Intune is part of Enterprise Mobility suite and if so reference that.
Even with proper use, devices are still susceptible to attack by hackers and other online threats. Microsoft Intune is a mobile device management and mobile application management solution that can add an extra layer of security and accountability. We at F1 Solutions can assist you in the effective use of this tool. Here are just a few of the things it can do:
Enforce device security policies
The centralized admin console of Intune enables you to monitor and set conditional access policies for devices registered to your business. This includes restricting employees’ access to the data necessary for the fulfillment of their respective roles, restricting access to company applications or data outside of a secured network, and preventing the installation of unverified third-party applications on these devices.
Intune can also prevent jailbroken or rooted devices from being registered because these devices lack the built-in security features that defend against cyberattacks. It also allows you to set minimum requirements for additional anti-malware, encryption, and security patches, preventing access to the company system unless these are installed.
Deal with high-risk devices
Intune can identify the devices that don’t comply with the security policies above, and can be programmed to alert the users of these devices and aid them in addressing the issue. For example, it could send an email to all devices that don’t have the needed anti-malware software installed. This email would include links and step-by-step instructions that will enable the users of those devices to install the software. If issues remain unresolved for a defined period, these devices can be remotely locked to mitigate risk.
Decommission devices remotely
Intune also grants a system administrator the ability to retire and wipe devices, revoking access privileges, uninstalling company apps, and removing sensitive data from them. This feature can be employed if reasonable suspicion exists that the device’s security has been compromised, or if the user’s previous level of access is changed, such as when they leave a company.
Manage company applications
Intune provides many features that enable you to manage access to company data and assets through its applications. These include a PIN code system that prompts users to enter a code when attempting to access a company app, the encryption of data in emails and OneDrive for Business, and the prevention of data from apps from being copied onto the device clipboard and pasted.
Enable multifactor authentication (MFA)
Passwords are still among the most widely used security features, but many modern cybercriminal tactics easily circumvent them. Intune gives you access to a number of other features to be used with passwords on company devices to create a MFA system. These include fingerprint scans, SMS codes, and phone call verifications.
Deploy company-wide software
Intune also enables the administrator to push security patches and software onto devices in the network simultaneously, ensuring that their security features remain up to date. These installations can be done silently and automatically, or through prompts sent to the device users.
Call F1 Solutions now and start taking advantage of the many features offered by Microsoft Intune.
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