Peer to Peer Magazine

Defining your mobile device policies first is key to a successful MDM deployment. • Configuration Management: As devices enroll in MDM, they can be screened for authorization and have your mobile device policies actively enforced. Devices from unsupported platforms can be automatically denied access, while supported platforms are checked for OS version and carrier. Patches and OS updates can be deployed from a central location instead of by the end user. Once devices are enrolled, approved configurations can be pushed out and enforced. For example, your list of blacklisted applications can be pushed out and offending applications removed. • Encryption: There are many different implementations of data encryption on mobile devices. The bottom line is that you probably want strong encryption and you don't want to keep track of which devices have that. MDM solutions should be able to identify what level of encryption is available on a device and the minimum level required for enrollment. • Remote Secure Wipe: What happens when someone leaves the firm or when a device is lost or stolen? We need to be able to eliminate data that might be at risk and confirm that the data are gone. Both ActiveSync and BlackBerry Enterprise Server allow for remote wipe of a device. However, their approach is kind of like doing surgery with a sledgehammer — it's not precise. MDM solutions offer selective data deletion and secure data destruction capabilities. The Next Level of Protection More advanced MDM solutions offer additional features. Some of my favorites are: • Data Leakage Protection: Mobile data leakage protection (DLP) is in its early stages. MDM solutions will be able to offer you the basic DLP controls that monitor keywords, control what applications can read and transmit data and provide a method for encrypting data stored on the device. More advanced solutions will link into your document management systems, be content-aware and know when to disable features like copy and paste, printing and forwarding. • Remote Auditing: It's a wonderful thing to have mobile device policies, but how do you know these policies are being followed? Being able to collect audit and activity logs from mobile devices allows administrators to monitor and report on policy violations, such as attempts to install blacklisted applications. Audit logging can also tell you things like when a device is locked or unlocked and if any configuration changes have occurred. • Advanced Support Options: Wouldn't it be great to be able to chat with users as they are having problems or see the same thing they see on their device? Options like this are not part of the native feature set of mobile devices, but being able to support devices remotely in an enterprise environment is a big time-saver for both attorneys and support staff. • Backups and Restores: Instead of allowing mobile devices to backup in a third-party cloud, back them up in your data center or private cloud. Does Mobile Mean Global? The biggest challenge with expanding anything into a global service is building an understanding of the local environment. What works in New York might not work in London or Dubai. In the case of MDM, cellular carriers, Internet service providers and local laws are all different and can affect your MDM strategy and how you define mobile device policies. In the U.S., we tend to believe that everyone has unlimited data use and 4G coverage everywhere they roam. Believe it or not, this does not hold true across the world. Newer smartphones are 84 Peer to Peer

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