Striking the right balance between security and mobility

One of the defining technology movements in recent years with profound implications for enterprises is the ‘consumerisation of IT’.  Technically savvy workers are wresting control from enterprise IT departments by bringing their own devices (BYOD). This trend is driven by employees who want real-time connectivity, access to information from any location and the flexibility to work on a device of their choice.

Empowering the workforce with connectivity is key for enterprises to spur innovation and collaboration. This applies not just within their own business but also extends to how they engage with their customers and partners. Mobility is an effective and often underutilised tool for driving productivity, and can deliver substantial increases in organisational efficiency and effectiveness. With enterprises aiming to break down silos by embracing social technologies and to respond to real-time needs of customers, mobility is a key enabler.

Enterprises in Australia are gearing up to mobility by allowing employees to either bring their own devices to work or providing an option for employees to choose the devices they would like to work with. However, they are struggling to keep up with the fast pace of consumerisation. The range of devices needed to provide connectivity, the amount of data that they need to manage and the impending risks associated with protecting corporate data on these devices poses a significant challenge. 

As people become more technology savvy, they are developing sophisticated preferences around the applications they use, as well as where and when they conduct work. 

What started as a few employees asking for their mobile devices to be connected to the enterprise IT system, has led to a fundamental shift in the relationship staff and IT. 

Fail to deliver and employees are likely to become disengaged. They may also lack the tools to make better decisions and respond to customers who are operating in a real-time business environment. 

No doubt mobility is the key business and technology driver for many enterprises - a source of innovation, competitive advantage and improved productivity. Yet for many in enterprises, mobility raises more questions than it answers. 

Creating a secure environment is vital to unlocking the benefits of mobility. Enterprises need to deliver access and information in a secure manner so that corporate data on employees’ mobile device is protected. Samsung has focused on creating enterprise ready mobility solutions designed to provide a secure mobile office environment, while keeping corporate data and personal information separate.

That involves a comprehensive security framework designed to help businesses confidently deploy feature-rich devices that are equipped with the necessary security and feature enhancements for use in the workplace. 

There are four aspects that make up Samsung Android security for business. The first is Mobile Device Management (MDM). Samsung has comprehensive MDM capabilities with over 338 IT policies and 725 security APIs designed to help enable efficient and secure management of corporate mobiles. 

Next is the support to VPN connectivity, which provides mobile professionals with behind-the-firewall access for a secure connection from virtually anywhere. Then there’s Samsung On Device Encryption (ODE) with AES 256-bit encryption addressing unauthorised access to data stored locally on the device as well as external memory cards. In comparison, Native Android has an AES 128-bit encryption level.  

Finally, while most Android devices support Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) protocol, Samsung mobile devices provide one of the most comprehensive EAS implementations. 

IT departments are looking for reassurance and convenience as they implement and manage Bring Your Own Device or Choose Your Own Device strategies. To enable enterprises to easily deploy secure mobile devices, Samsung is further strengthening  its security offering by developing KNOX. When it becomes available, it will provide an integrated platform level security solution that will allow for the complete separation of business and personal use of a smartphone via an encrypted container on the device. 

Natasha Datos is the director of enterprise and SMB at Samsung Electronics Australia