Businesses are well aware of the need for workforce mobility. A mobile workforce gets more done, is able to produce virtually anytime and anywhere, and is theoretically happier doing their jobs. But IT is also aware of security: it’s hard enough in the current environment to secure data in house. Once it becomes mobile, there are whole new worlds of potential problems.
The fact is, mobile is here and here to stay. Now the question isn’t about whether or not to empower a mobile workforce, but rather how to keep data, systems, and users as secure as possible in this environment. Here are the questions you need to answer to strike that balance between mobility and security.
What Actually Needs to Be Accessed Via Mobile?
t might turn out that your mobile workers don’t even need access to the data you’re most worried about.
Mobile access doesn’t have to be all or nothing. What data and systems do mobile workers actually need access to, and which can be blocked to mobile without hindering productivity? It might be that mobile workers don’t even need to access the most sensitive and critical data to do their jobs.
What Kind of Device Security Can You Provide?
Do you have the technical abilities to wipe data from lost or stolen devices? IT needs to be able to monitor devices to assure security and privacy, determine where the device is, etc. For example, most cyber security specialists like to keep a close eye on access from parts of the world most associated with cyber terrorism. Make sure IT has the tools and resources to track and manage the mobile devices accessing your systems.
What Can Be Streamed Instead of Stored Locally on Devices?
Streaming is an excellent option to allowing devices to download and store sensitive data. Many applications lend well to streaming, and this option frees IT from worrying about who ends up with the data while allowing the mobile workforce optimal access for productivity.
What Mobile Use Policies Work Best?
Whether your mobile workforce is BYOD or company-owned, there need to be clearly-stated, well-understood mobile use policies in place. These polices should cover issues like what is an acceptable password (or other authentication method), policies governing public Wi-Fi use, policies about the use of consumer cloud storage apps (like Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.), and other policies as determined by your IT department in conjunction with your legal department.
How Can Data be Secured in the Database and in Transit?
A good mobile use policy assures maximum worker productivity while delivering minimal risk to systems, devices, and users.
Encryption and other security techniques are essential to assure the safety of data while it is within the database and as it is in transit to mobile devices. Additionally, IT will need the skilled specialists necessary to monitor data access and engage in incident response when an intrusion is detected.
Part of all mobile security policies and procedures needs to be a great backup solution. Backups are your only means for restoring systems after an outage, data corruption, data theft, or other security incident. Learn more about Backbox today.