Best practices for writing a mobile device management policy

Adriaan Brits -

More and more companies are banking on smartphones to help them run the business process. In that light, security has become a significant concern for business owners. As more companies get on with the use of mobile phones, entrepreneurs have come to note that running personal data through mobile devices safely and securely is no child’s play. 

This gets even more challenging for traditional IT firms that do not have so much experience dealing with thousands of mobile devices. This is one of the primary reasons for the popularity of mobile device management and enterprise mobility management. Most of the MDA contains both the software component as well as the server elements. However, knowing a bit about the best practices can be of significant assistance for the various IT firms. 

The stock of the mobile landscape before implementation

Managed IT services in Toronto highlight the importance of this practice. While this used to be quite an easy task to do for most organizations, that is not the case anymore. This is because more and more IT personnel are using a multitude of devices nowadays. 

Additionally, dependence on past practices might not yield the right results. However, it’s essential to keep a tab on the number of devices and their types the company is going to work upon. 

A bring your own device policy

BYOD policies are now quite common owing to the advent of mobile field applications and the growth of personal devices being used in the workspace. 

These developments have made it necessary for companies to opt for mobile device management software that uses containerization. 

Highly effective security

Though mobile device security is important, employees generally follow the path of least resistance. Thus, along with containerization, it’s necessary to make sure that everyone in the task force sets out strong passwords for their device.

Additionally, the IT teams must be able to wipe data from the device remotely in case any theft occurs. Finally, the implementation of a single sign-on, the access control protocol will be essential to keep the security intact. 

An applicable use policy

It’s crucial to document the different forms of acceptable rules for multiple corporate devices, or in that case, any piece of gadget, which can be connected to an unmanaged network.  

This policy includes a form of high-level direction from the various corporate users. 

Gain insight about the device, its owner and its usage

Making any form of decisions and mitigating the associated risks of device usage is impossible without having complete knowledge about mobile devices in your environment. 

For instance, your ex-employees or terminated employees might still be using your device remotely. It’s not possible to take any action in this regard unless you are aware of the occurrence. 

To deal with such issues, the solution must include the following:

  • The helpdesk should be empowered to troubleshoot any problem
  • It should be accessible by other departments like HR
  • It must consist of a secure application, inventory, and related search capabilities. 

Now that mobile devices have become our “everything,” lack of security and management policies can yield a negative impact. So, follow these best practices and grow.