In today’s world everyone has their own smart devices and everyone expects to be able to use them to send and receive corporate emails. A bring your own device (BYOD) policy can save an organisation money as they no longer need to supply these devices. However, securing these devices so that they can access corporate systems is a new challenge. With IBM’s Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices IBM Endpoint Manager extends from managing and securing servers, desktops and laptops to include smartphones and tablets running iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems, which allows you to integrate everything into one management structure.
IBM’s Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices allows you to protect up to a quarter of a million endpoints from a single management server. It gives an organisation the ability to recommend apps from an Enterprise Apps Store based on a user’s devices specification, or a user’s role within the organisation by integration with Active Directory or LDAP. Even an organisation’s own internally developed apps can be pushed (or pulled when requested) out. Details of the mobile device such as manufacturer, model, and OS version are reported back, and even storage information, battery level and installed apps too. This allows any security issues to be flagged and patched in the same way that Endpoint Manager would secure a computer. It can also limit the availability of some apps to older devices that might not be deemed secure enough.
Lost or stolen devices can be remotely locked, and even partially or fully wiped, protecting corporate and personal data. Password policies and device encryption can be enforced to stop unauthorised access to data and the last reported device location can be tracked and displayed in Google Maps. Jailbroken or rooted devices can be blocked and, if it is company policy, cameras can be disabled so no unauthorised photos can be taken. Wi-Fi and VPN configuration information can be distributed automatically to help keep the corporate network secure. Roaming can be disabled to reduce costs if a user takes their device on holiday. All of this is configured by an administrator from the IBM’s Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices console with very little user interaction (all aside from setting a password to meet the policy) so not to confuse new users who might not be technically minded.
With IBM Endpoint Manager securing all aspects of IT in an organisation, regardless of platform, you can reduce security management complexity and operating costs, at the same time as increasing workers’ productivity and giving everyone peace of mind.
John Carson, Technical Consultant, Celerity Limited
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