What is the best way to balance department needs in mobile device management policies?
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Mobile devices are essential tools for many employees, but they also pose security, compliance, and productivity challenges for organizations. That's why mobile device management (MDM) policies are crucial to ensure that devices are properly configured, secured, and monitored. However, not all departments have the same needs and preferences when it comes to mobile devices. How can you balance the different requirements and expectations of your teams while maintaining a consistent and effective MDM policy? Here are some tips to help you.
Before you design or update your MDM policy, you need to understand the current state of your mobile device environment. How many devices do you have? What types and models are they? Who owns them? How are they used? What are the main risks and issues? You can use tools like inventory management software, device discovery scans, or surveys to collect this information. This will help you identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement in your MDM policy.
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Naseem Halder
Ex-CTO of Acko | Ex - CISO of Acko | CISM | ISMS| InfoSec Architect | Secure InsureTech and FinTech
In my career, I have experienced that MDM is always a concern for end-users and I connect the same with customer data privacy concerns and organisation commitment toward customer data security and privacy. Rest is your execution efficiency.
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Stefan Junge
I’m driving customer centric digital marketing for sustainable business growth | Head of Digital Marketing
When rolling out MDM, data protection issues should be clarified in advance. If topics such as corporate separateness and data storage structures and authorizations play a role, then this should be taken into account directly in requirements management.
Next, you need to define what you want to achieve with your MDM policy and what it will cover. What are your business goals and priorities? What are your legal and regulatory obligations? What are your security and performance standards? How will you measure and evaluate the effectiveness of your MDM policy? You also need to decide what types of devices, users, and applications will be subject to your MDM policy. For example, will you allow personal devices, guest devices, or unmanaged devices on your network? How will you handle different operating systems, platforms, and versions?
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Stefan Junge
I’m driving customer centric digital marketing for sustainable business growth | Head of Digital Marketing
Furthermore ensure, that the new solution by default perfectly fits into your infrastructure environment. In some cases the new MDM is working as a silo.
One of the most important steps in balancing department needs in MDM policies is to involve your stakeholders in the process. Your stakeholders include your employees, managers, IT staff, vendors, and customers. You need to communicate with them about the purpose, benefits, and implications of your MDM policy. You also need to solicit their feedback, suggestions, and concerns. This will help you understand their needs and expectations, as well as address any resistance or confusion. You can use methods like interviews, focus groups, workshops, or surveys to engage your stakeholders.
Once you have a clear picture of your situation, objectives, scope, and stakeholders, you can start to customize your MDM policy options. You can use tools like MDM software, cloud services, or mobile application management (MAM) to create and enforce different policies for different devices, users, and applications. For example, you can set different security levels, access rights, encryption standards, backup schedules, or device wipe options depending on the role, location, or function of the device or user. You can also create different profiles, groups, or policies for different departments based on their specific needs and preferences.
Before you implement your MDM policy, you need to test and refine it to ensure that it works as intended and does not cause any unintended consequences. You can use methods like pilot testing, beta testing, or user testing to evaluate your policy in a controlled environment. You can also use tools like analytics, reports, or audits to monitor and measure the performance, compliance, and impact of your policy. You can then use the feedback and data you collect to make any necessary adjustments or improvements to your policy.
Finally, you need to review and update your policy regularly to keep it relevant and effective. Mobile devices are constantly evolving, and so are your business needs and challenges. You need to stay on top of the latest trends, technologies, threats, and opportunities in the mobile device landscape. You also need to solicit and incorporate the ongoing feedback and input of your stakeholders. You can use methods like surveys, reviews, or audits to assess the satisfaction, compliance, and outcomes of your policy. You can also use tools like MDM software, cloud services, or MAM to modify and apply your policy changes quickly and easily.