The enterprise business is moving out from behind its firewall into a dispersed bring your own device (BYOD), Internet of things (IoT), cloud-based state. An Enterprise Mobility security strategy is important in controlling risk exposure in this new environment, to challenging organisations everywhere.
“The traditional enterprise model of the past is coming to an end. Where once operations existed at a secure central point, now IoT, cloud and mobility are putting corporate enterprises in a vulnerable position. In this disseminated enterprise state, the exposure to risk is as large as the mobile enterprise footprint,” says Paulo Ferreira, director of enterprise mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa.
Rapid changes in the technologies are moving into enterprises and may have caught many by surprise. Wearable devices and IoT endpoints have been proliferated within the workplace, while BYOD and consumer applications have overtaken enterprise-owned devices and methods as the productivity tools of choice.
According to the 2016 Mobile Security & Business Transformation Study from ISMG, 99% of enterprise workers currently use mobile devices to perform their work tasks. Wearables are also making their mark, with Gartner expecting worldwide wearable device sales to grow over 18% this year, generating over $18 billion in revenue. Smart watches, fitness trackers, head mounted displays, smart glasses, body cameras, smart wristbands and smart garments are coming to market fast and poised to make inroads into the enterprise.
“These rapid changes and the move towards a mobile, digital economy present a wealth of opportunities for organisations to innovate and enhance productivity. At the same time, they must seize control of this increasingly complex environment. It is of essence for organisations to have an Enterprise Mobility security strategy in place,” says Ferreira.
One of the biggest challenges facing corporate security teams, is managing devices like smartphones and tablets that are used by employees both for work and personal use. Ferreira says: “Strategically managing and securing the mobile enterprise environment demands an enterprise-wide approach that encompasses technologies, policies and training. Business management and governance must focus on identifying the potential threats, auditing the current mobile environment, risk profile and preparing forward-looking strategies to mitigate those risks.”
Enterprises need advanced Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions that enable simple onboarding, full integration and management of all mobile devices within the company environment in order to support fast and cost effective roll out of new enterprise applications, as well as managing security on individual devices.
“Samsung has moved to address the hazards of this dispersed new environment through continual research and innovation into EMM, MDM and device security. Samsung’s KNOX defense-grade security platform addresses more than just security and device management – it includes subsets of offerings such as containerisation features, KNOX Customisation, bulk mobile enrolment and cloud based device management,” Ferreira concludes.
