Criteria for Evaluating EMM/ MDM Solutions

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)/ MDM

Wikipedia defines EMM as, “the set of people, processes, and technology focused on managing the increasing array of mobile devices, wireless networks, and related services to enable broad use of mobile computing in a business context.”

Mobile Device Management, or MDM, is another similar term used to describe the mobile arena. However, EMM is focused more toward security, app management, content management, app wrapping, containerization, and other features.

EMM helps organizations create, implement, and monitor stronger configuration best practices. One in three web attacks comes via SQL injection and strong EMM will help to eliminate those threats. CMS attacks through WordPress are very common because the platform is so popular; Verizon’s DBIR indicates that 73 percent of all WordPress installations had at least one vulnerability that could have been identified quickly with automated tools. This means the weaknesses could be identified easily by hackers, too—and that stronger EMM would have found and eliminated them.

No business wants to fail when it comes to protecting its data—but many businesses are more vulnerable than they believe.

Weak configuration is behind most breaches

Both technology devices and system network configurations can be weak and vulnerable to security breaches. The Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR) found that four out of five breaches result from either the lack of a static authentication system or easily guessable passwords.

These kinds of poor configurations are to blame for four common types of attacks. SQL injection inserts malicious code into strings that get parsed on an SQL server and access the database. CMS compromise attacks come via weaknesses in platforms like WordPress or Joomla which are open and widely used. Backdoor access tactics and DNS tunneling attacks are also common and related to weak configurations. The mobility of our workforce combined with the plethora of devices that are being used to access corporate networks are increasing our risk for cyber attack.

EMM tools integrate mobility into an organization’s workflow and are absolutely essential in today’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) era. According to Gartner, EMM is the logical choice to broker policies for other services and tools on the platform, as well. Gartner estimates that the average enterprise has deployed between 8 and 15 mobile applications to its employees; the bulk of which are data and apps that are role-specific and mission-critical.

EMM ensures an integrated, managed approach to how and what devices are allowed to access corporate assets, and the data and information employees can and cannot keep on their own devices.

What to look for in an EMM

First, know which security features are most critical to your business. At a minimum, opt for password protection, VPN configuration and management, device and data encryption, remote wipe and lock capabilities, and malware detection.

Consider the following and explore all your options with each possible EMM provider:

Does the solution address your use cases? Traveling employees, telecommuters, freelancers, and other unique employee situations all present different EMM needs. Does it support the apps and platforms your employees need to use?

Which operating system(s) does your business use? Whether you will need support with just the big three (Android, iOS, and Windows), or if additional options are needed, identify which systems need to access your network so your EMM solution will be able to support them.

How will an EMM solution integrate with your current solutions? To ensure a great fit, explore what the user experience will be like with each EMM solution integrated into your cloud services, disaster avoidance and recovery services, desktop applications, and data center services.