How to Cut Device Security Costs and Risks with Mobile Device Management

According to Statista, remote work grew from 20% in 2020 to 28% by 2023, highlighting its increasing popularity among employees and employers. The surge in remote work has accelerated the adoption of various tech devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and more.

Trends like work-from-home and bring your own device (BYOD) are further fueling the growth of tech device usage. As a result, more and more workers are able to access organizational resources from almost anywhere, from their professional and personal devices.

The rise in the use of mobile devices has resulted in exponential growth in cyber-crime and hacking. Data breaches have continued to escalate, with significant incidents reported in 2024 affecting many businesses. For instance, a breach at National Public Data compromised the personal information of approximately 2.9 billion individuals, including sensitive data such as social security numbers.

One factor that makes data breaches worse is the difficulty your IT team has in managing devices when employees work in different locations. This setup limits their ability to access devices for important tasks like installing updates, applying security policies, and patching software.

That’s where mobile device management (MDM) solutions like Deel IT can help manage and protect these devices effectively. Deel IT integrated MDM solutions provide remote access, allowing large and small enterprises to leverage the mobility of mobile devices without compromising productivity and data security.

Mobile device management (MDM) is the process through which organizations monitor, manage, and secure mobile devices across their corporate networks. This approach can simplify the challenges associated with mobile devices and enhance overall security for remote workers.

5 ways to cut device security costs and risks with mobile device management

Managing mobile device security without proper tools can leave your organization vulnerable to risks and high costs. Here are five ways to reduce device security costs and risks through MDM.

1. Send pre-configured equipment with security controls

Picture this: Alex, a software developer in Texas, just got hired for a new remote job. Excited about the high-end devices he was promised, he looks forward to a seamless start. But when the equipment arrives, setting it up turns into a struggle. Instead of diving into his work, Alex spends hours troubleshooting.

A recent Dell survey reveals that 67% of respondents believe employees bypass IT security guidelines because they negatively impact their efficiency and productivity.

That’s where Deel IT comes in to provide a device pre-configuration service to ensure all devices you provide are set up correctly and securely. This saves your new hire from a frustrating first day spent on setup. Plus, Deel IT’s built-in mobile device management (MDM) keeps your IT team stress-free.

Deel IT’s MDM solution includes:

• Setting up user accounts
• Pre-installing your chosen software
• Completing OS updates
• Customizing devices
• Enrolling devices onto an MDM platform
• Testing everything before delivery

A mobile device management solution helps you provide a smoother onboarding experience for your new hires, saves your IT team time, and minimizes the need for IT assistance.

By outsourcing this responsibility, you can now focus on more important work, while new hires avoid setup delays and can dive straight into meeting colleagues and getting started.

2. Enable location tracking

Managing and tracking equipment for remote and globally dispersed workforces can present significant challenges. While onboarding new employees, you need to ensure that all devices are always accounted for.

A lost device can increase the administrative burden for HR teams and create security problems, such as exposing sensitive information. Your IT team will find this task challenging because they have limited control over the devices and networks people use at home.

That’s where MDM software comes in. MDM solutions provide remote access, allowing large and small enterprises to leverage mobile device mobility without compromising productivity and data security.

Deel IT’s integrated MDM solution uses GPS and location services to track devices’ exact locations. This ensures devices are where they should be and boosts security.

If a device is lost or stolen, it can be quickly located to prevent security breaches or data loss. We also provide a live view of device locations in real-time, making it easier for organizations to manage assets, allocate resources, and respond to issues promptly.

Deel IT tracks a device’s current location and keeps a record of its past location. This history can reveal usage patterns, highlight security risks, and help recover lost or stolen devices.

Deel IT’s mobile device management solution can save you hundreds of hours. All device collections, repairs, and other movements are tracked and updated automatically, sparing your IT team hours of work manually updating your asset register.

See also: How to procure and manage equipment for independent contractors with Deel IT

3. Enforce password policies

47% of companies allow employees to access their resources on unmanaged devices, authenticating via credentials alone, a 2023 Shadow IT report found. These devices can bypass security measures and use unapproved tools, like AI extensions, putting sensitive data at risk.

As you cannot control your remote employee’s networks, the devices themselves must be managed to secure all the organization’s data, applications, networks, and servers from unauthorized use and potential cyberattacks.

With MDM solutions, you can enforce password policies by setting up and managing rules and restrictions.

For example, when users change their passwords, the MDM might not accept a reused password, or a new one could be required to include certain combinations of letters, numbers, or characters.

With Deel IT’s integrated MDM’s password enforcement features you can control how your remote employees protect and encrypt their devices. Deel IT allows you to:

• Set rules for device password strength
• Enforce multi-factor authentication
• Implement identity and access management (IAM)
• Limit how employees use their devices during work hours
• Block certain apps and more

These measures help protect your corporate network from unauthorized users and malware.

The IT team can set security policies remotely on a device with MDM enabled. If there’s an urgent threat, they can take direct control of the device to block unauthorized users, erase sensitive data, or reset a compromised passcode.

4. Remote lock or wipe a mobile device

Lost or stolen devices can result in significant financial losses for a company and create serious security risks, as sensitive data may fall into the hands of hackers. Additionally, businesses often incur costs related to investigations, data breaches, and potential legal ramifications.

Deel IT’s MDM solution allows you to remotely lock and wipe devices, which is especially important for protecting sensitive data in remote work settings. It helps you in:

• Securing against loss or theft: With Deel IT, your IT admins can remotely lock or wipe devices if they’re lost or stolen. This keeps unauthorized users from accessing company data, reducing the risk of data breaches
• Employee offboarding: When an employee resigns from your company, Deel IT lets you wipe their device remotely before returning it. This makes sure all company data is securely erased, preventing leaks
• Device reprovisioning: If a device needs to be reassigned to a new employee, with Deel IT, you can erase and re-set up the device, keeping security standards intact and ensuring a smooth transition

One of Deel IT’s biggest advantages is that it works with any device. This means you can manage your current laptops, mobile devices, and apps and data through the Deel IT platform, even if you didn’t lease or buy from Deel.

See also: A guide to the world at work in 2024: Deel IT

5. Ensure global data security and privacy compliance

Remote work brings new data security risks and privacy challenges. Employees working remotely may accidentally expose sensitive company data if they don’t follow proper procedures.

To prevent this, you need to provide regular cybersecurity training to your remote workforce so that they understand how to protect sensitive information, prevent data breaches, and respond to any suspicious activity.

However, we understand it is challenging to enforce consistent security policies across all remote devices. That’s where mobile device management (MDM) can help apply security policies and control devices, easing this burden.

Deel IT’s MDM solution has two key parts: MDM servers and MDM agents. The MDM server is a cloud-based admin console where policies can be set up and managed. The MDM agent is software installed on your team’s mobile devices to receive and apply those policies.

When you create a policy through the server console, it’s sent wirelessly to the MDM agent on a supported device. The agent then works with the device’s operating system through application programming interfaces (APIs) to install the policy.

This proactive approach helps keep the company safe from risks and ensures compliance with privacy regulations.

Data privacy laws vary across countries, and Deel IT helps your company abide by global data privacy standards. This includes managing sensitive data securely through advanced IT security features and certifications, such as SOC II Type 2 and ISO27001.

Cut device security costs and risks with Deel IT

As a remote and globally dispersed organization, you must ensure your workforce can access secure and reliable equipment.

With Deel IT, you can confidently safeguard your devices while benefiting from:

• A fully cloud-based service tailored to your team’s needs
• Detailed compliance reports
• Enhanced device security and management capabilities
• Round-the-clock support for remote, hybrid, and international teams

With Deel IT’s integrated mobile management solution, you get a partner committed to upholding the highest data protection standards.

If you’re ready to streamline your device management processes, schedule a demo to learn more.