7 Essential Mobile Security Best Practices for Businesses

What are the essential mobile security best practices for businesses? As enterprises introduce more mobile devices and solutions into their infrastructure, they need to keep mobile security in mind at all times. The mobile threat landscape is constantly evolving, and as such, companies need to protect their devices and be prepared for any security fault that could threaten their business.

One of the ways companies can improve their mobile security is by applying these seven best practices. These best practices are essential in keeping your enterprise’s mobile devices safe and secure.

Looking for more information on mobile security best practices? Our free 2019 Buyer’s Guide contains profiles on the top vendors in the mobility management field and their key features and functions. It also lists questions you should ask yourself and prospective vendors before you choose a solution.

Strong authentication measures

Often, the first line of defense for mobile solutions is authentication. Your enterprise needs to ensure that only authorized users can access your mobile devices. Ideally, companies should employ two-factor or multi-factor authentication, combining strong passwords, biometrics, and/or security tokens to provide multiple angles of access security. For more advanced authentication, you may also consider enabling location-based authentication restrictions that only allow a device or solution to be accessed from specific areas.

Updating mobile devices and applications

Many users consider it a hassle to update their mobile devices and applications, but for business purposes, updates need to be applied as soon as possible. Updates often contain vital security patches that respond to specific mobile security threats and malware; if users don’t apply these updates, your enterprise’s mobile solutions will be at risk.

Blocking suspicious or malicious apps

Your enterprise needs to ensure that every application on its mobile devices aren’t going to do any harm. At the basic level, users should only install apps that come directly through official application marketplaces, or that your business has developed itself. Enterprise mobility management solutions allow you to block specific apps based on a device’s security policies and permissions.

Creating backups routinely

In the event that a mobile security threat destroys your data or makes it inaccessible, you need to be able to restore that data. Your company should make routine backups of mobile data to ensure that minimal data is lost in the event of a breach. To help make this process easier, your company should consider a solution that creates automated backups of your mobile data.

Avoiding public WiFi

Public WiFi networks seem like the most convenient way to connect mobile devices while they’re out of the office, but they can be a security nightmare. If your employees are going to be taking devices out of the building, they need to avoid connecting to public WiFi networks to avoid hackers and malware from entering their company. If it’s absolutely necessary for a user to connect to one, however, a virtual private network (VPN) provides a more secure connection.

Monitoring your devices for security threats

In order to efficiently protect your company from mobile security hazards, your company needs to be proactively monitoring for malware and other threats. Mobile security solutions need to be able to sweep devices to check for suspicious apps or data; the solution also needs to alert your company to any threats it discovers so your employees can start addressing the issue.

Remotely wiping data from mobile devices

In a worst case scenario, such as a lost or stolen device or a hacker infiltrating your network, your company will need to remotely wipe corporate data from its hardware. Many enterprise mobility management solutions include remote wiping capabilities that allow your company to remove its data from a mobile device, preventing unauthorized users from accessing it. This is done from the EMM management console, so your company can wipe the data as soon as it learns of the missing device.

Looking for more info on the benefits of enterprise mobility management? You should check out our free 2019 MDM Buyer’s Guide. We profile the top vendors in the mobile device management field, their key capabilities, and our Bottom Line for each.

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