Take a moment to think about the technology you typically use at job sites. Do you regularly issue tablets, smartphones or laptops to contractors? What would you lose if a contractor walked off or forgot the device in a coffee shop?
Without a system in place to track devices and control information, you could be liable for well north of $4,000 per person. And that initial $4,000 would only account for the hardware. If the device is connected to your network, it probably contains invaluable confidential company information. Mobile device management prevents technology from being a liability at your job-site.
Mobile Device Management Prevents Costly Data Breaches
Mobile device management software keeps you in control of corporate data even when it is located on a tablet at a job-site. The exact capabilities vary depending on the solutions you deploy, but the tools will help your company confront the security challenges presented by laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Like taking steps to secure the internet connection at job-sites, mobile device management is a best practice you need to be following.
Why You Need to Manage Your Mobile Devices
There isn’t much control you can exercise over physical files or drawings. The documents could be lost, stolen or improperly shared. When that same information is on a phone or tablet enrolled in mobile device management, there are ways to mitigate risks.
Quickly Wipe Data from Stolen Devices
Contractors and subcontractors can walk off a job with devices containing your data or hardware can be stolen from a job-site. One feature of mobile device management allows you to immediately remove company information from the device, keeping your data confidential.
Set Permissions and Manage Applications
Not all users need to access the same documents or applications. With mobile device management you can grant read-only permissions for devices, prevent someone from sharing documents or make it impossible for a person to access the information at all.
Introduce Layered Security
Basic safeguards are not enough to protect against advanced threats. To stop cyber criminals, you need to address all of your vulnerabilities. The range of capabilities built into mobile device management, like multi-factor authentication, address security exposures in a comprehensive plan.
Create a Competitive Advantage
You may not have compliance needs, but nondisclosure agreements are a common feature of contracts. Mobile device management proves to potential and current clients their information has the highest levels of security, and confidential data will not be exposed.
How to Get Started
Mobile device management is a collection of tools, and you may only need a few features. Here’s how to identify what you need and get started:
- Assess your security needs. Because this can change across job-sites an evaluation should be built into the first phase of your projects.
- Research your options.
- Office 365 has some mobile device management features built in.
- Intune has additional capabilities, like managing applications even if the phone or tablet is not enrolled in mobile device management.
- Enroll devices, set permissions and enforce policies.
Consult an IT Expert
Mobile device management is not a “set and forget” solution. It requires consistent monitoring to fully protect your organization. An IT expert will be able to provide recommendations and institute policies and practices to safeguard your devices.
Applied Tech has many AEC clients and is a Microsoft Gold partner, with competencies in Enterprise Mobility Management. To earn this recognition, the Applied Tech team had to demonstrate our skills deploying mobile security solutions, including successful examples from clients. Our IT experts will help you avoid pitfalls many face when deploying Mobile Security Management solutions.
Could your job site network and company data be compromised?
