{"id":56353,"date":"2021-11-16T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=56353"},"modified":"2024-12-20T14:28:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T19:28:53","slug":"what-it-takes-manage-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/what-it-takes-manage-devices","title":{"rendered":"What Does It Take to Manage Your Devices?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a big question. Taking into account the many different ways organizations support their employees, it\u2019s no wonder we have to ask it. Do employees work solely in the same (physical) office? Are they using a specific operating system or one of their choosing? Are they allowed to use their personal devices to access work resources? And if so, which devices can do so, and what kinds of resources can they access? A hybrid workplace environment poses serious challenges to security, usability, and compliance, and leaving employees\u2019 devices unmanaged leads to vulnerabilities, user experience friction, and reduced productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote device management<\/a> is what organizations use to secure employee endpoints and manage them effectively. This article describes the practice in detail, explaining what it is, why it\u2019s so important, and how to find the right platform for your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Remote Device Management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remote device management gives organizations the ability to secure, control, and manage employee smartphones, tablets, and PCs. With these endpoint devices managed through a centralized platform, the company ensures a secure, consistent user experience for employees regardless of their location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote device management works by deploying lightweight endpoint agents on employee devices that access the network. These agents transmit data securely to and from a mobile device management (MDM)<\/a> platform, enabling the organization to enforce policies across the entire device fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Remote Device Management Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remote device management simplifies the process of securing complex fleets of mobile endpoints. This enables the organization to adopt fully remote workplace policies, while granting the visibility it needs to enforce those policies securely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the benefits organizations that deploy remote device management enjoy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Consistency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD)<\/a> environments contain a diverse collection of hardware and software. Neglecting to establish or enforce standard usage for these network assets can leave data and devices vulnerable to cyberattack. Modern MDM solutions allow IT admins to enforce standards to keep device functionality and security consistent across a wide range of devices and use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Insights and Reporting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The number of devices accessing company networks is growing, and often remains unsupervised. Companies need a method for viewing and monitoring those devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDM solutions provide a level of visibility into devices accessing corporate data. High quality MDM solutions provide deep, comprehensive observability according to preconfigured needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, MDM solutions can give a bird\u2019s-eye view of several status and activity data points for all endpoints or subsets. With JumpCloud\u2019s MDM<\/a> you can see which devices don\u2019t have multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled, who\u2019s locked out of their device, and the battery life of every device on the network. You can also export these data points into compliance reports that help the organization meet regulatory needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Updates and Patch Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keeping all systems and applications updated is critical to compliance and security. Unpatched software<\/a> is a major cause of security breaches and compromised data.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some remote device management solutions enable companies to track this by offering visibility into devices\u2019 OS versions, applications, and software, triggering alerts when they are due for updates or patches. This helps the organization ensure all employees are working with up-to-date tools, regardless of whether they\u2019re using personal or corporate-issued devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The lack of device unification and supervision in remote and BYOD environments can create significant security vulnerabilities. Companies need the ability to manage and secure both devices and their contents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many remote device management solutions offer additional layers of security that help remote and BYOD companies secure their device fleets. Some common examples of security features some MDM solutions offer include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n