What are the most important strategies to secure EMM systems?

1 Understand the threat landscape

To secure EMM systems, it is essential to understand the threat landscape and the attack vectors that target mobile devices and EMM components. Common threats include malware and phishing, device loss or theft, rogue or insecure apps, network attacks, and insider threats. Malware and phishing can compromise the device, steal data, or perform unauthorized actions. Device loss or theft can allow attackers to bypass security controls, access data, or use the device for malicious purposes. Rogue or insecure apps can exploit vulnerabilities, access unauthorized data, or perform malicious actions on the device or the EMM system. Network attacks involve interception or manipulation of network traffic between the device and the EMM server or other services. Insider threats are employees or contractors who can abuse their privileges, access sensitive data, or sabotage the EMM system.

2 Implement EMM policies and controls

The second step to secure EMM systems is to implement EMM policies and controls that define and enforce the security requirements and standards for mobile devices and applications. This includes verifying the identity and ownership of the device and user before allowing access to the EMM system, as well as setting and updating device settings like passwords, encryption, firewall, antivirus, and remote wipe. It is also important to control the installation, update, removal, and security of applications on the device. Additionally, data protection and encryption should be used to protect data stored on the device or transmitted over the network. Finally, monitoring and auditing should be conducted to collect and analyze device and application activity, performance, and security events.

3 Educate and empower users

The third step to secure EMM systems is to educate and empower users to understand and follow the security policies and best practices for using mobile devices and applications. This should include providing users with the necessary information and guidance on how to use mobile devices and applications securely, such as avoiding phishing or malware. Additionally, it’s important to communicate with users about the security policies, updates, issues, or incidents, as well as solicit their feedback and suggestions for improvement. To further incentivize compliance with security policies, rewards should be given for following best practices, while consequences should be imposed for violations, such as warnings or revocation of access.

4 Update and test EMM systems

The fourth step to secure EMM systems is to update and test them regularly to ensure that they are up to date, functional, and resilient against emerging threats and vulnerabilities. This includes patching and upgrading the EMM software, hardware, and firmware, as well as mobile devices and applications. It is also important to back up the EMM data and configuration, and test and validate the system's components to verify that they work as expected. Finally, you should review and improve the EMM system based on feedback, analysis, and testing results in order to identify any gaps or weaknesses.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?