Mobile Devices and Your Workforce: Reducing the Threats Created by "Lost" or "Stolen" Devices
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A lost or stolen mobile device is not only a financial headache, but also a serious security issue and a leading cause of data breaches. Think about how much confidential company or customer information your workforce interacts with via portable devices like smartphones, tablets, or even laptops. If one of these devices falls into the wrong hands, that information could be breached, leading to serious legal and regulatory costs, not to mention the cost of lost business and a damaged reputation. That’s why it’s critical to develop an IT strategy that protects sensitive organizational information even if this worst-case scenario occurs.
How to Reduce Threats Caused by Lost or Stolen Corporate Mobile Devices
To address the risk of a lost or stolen mobile device, it’s crucial that company decision-makers work with IT experts, such as a trusted managed services provider, to establish a clear strategy around mobile device security. At the very least, this strategy should include the following three components:
Policies: Businesses need to establish, document, and train their employees on policies that dictate the acceptable use of mobile devices. These policies should include provisions regarding the security measures the company expects them to take to prevent loss or theft, and it should also spell out what kinds of data should and should not be stored or accessed on the device. Ideally, employees should not access confidential information via mobile devices unless additional security measures have been taken to mitigate the risk of data breach in the event of loss or theft.
Encryption: When employees must access confidential data from their mobile devices, it’s critical that decision-makers work with IT professionals to establish a clear encryption strategy. For instance, a laptop that accesses sensitive data should be encrypted to prevent access to that data should it fall into the wrong hands. An encryption strategy should take into account which devices should be encrypted and which means of encryption should be used.
Device Management: Beyond encryption, there are other technical solutions that can help your company protect your data against mobile device loss or theft. Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems can be employed to monitor devices, limit their functionality, and even remotely wipe them if they fall into the wrong hands. These systems do involve a cost, but for companies whose employees access sensitive data on the go, they may be a necessary precaution.
By developing and implementing a strategy that includes these three components, you can be sure that if a mobile device is lost or stolen, it either will not give access to sensitive data, or you can remove that data before someone is able to access it.
Affinity Technology Partners Can Help Your Business Reduce Threats Caused by Lost or Stolen Mobile Devices Among Your Workforce
Affinity Technology Partners can help protect lost or stolen mobile devices from malicious actors and data breaches. Since 2002, Affinity has been a go-to for IT solutions and managed IT services for businesses of all sizes in Nashville, Tennessee and beyond. We have developed our reputation in this highly competitive industry by consistently providing high quality IT support and by employing a team of highly trained, experienced, and personable technical consultants. We take the time to get to know your company and your company’s needs so that we can provide you with a personalized service from start to finish. We are in it for the long run and are always taking into consideration what is best for your company’s growth now and in the future.
Give us a call or contact our IT consultants online to find out how a partnership with Affinity can help your business today.
