Archives

Your Employees Are Losing Devices. What’s the Fix?

Your Employees Are Losing Devices. What’s the Fix

Employees are often on the go, utilizing laptops, smartphones, and tablets to work remotely, access company data, and communicate with clients. But what happens when these devices are lost or misplaced? Unfortunately, this is not just an inconvenience—it can have severe consequences for your business’s security and data integrity.

The Risks of Lost or Misplaced Devices

Lost mobile device When employees lose or misplace their devices, the potential risks can be significant. Here are some of the dangers your company faces:

#1: Data Breaches

Devices that are left unattended or lost can potentially give unauthorized individuals access to sensitive company data. Personal information, intellectual property, and financial details can be exposed, leading to serious data breaches that can harm your business’s reputation and bottom line.

#2: Regulatory Violations

In industries where compliance with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, or PCI-DSS is required, losing a device that holds sensitive data can result in fines and legal penalties. Ensuring that all business devices are secure is not just a best practice, but a legal obligation.

#3: Theft of Company Assets

In addition to data concerns, the actual devices themselves may hold valuable company resources, such as client lists, proprietary software, or project data. The cost of replacing lost or stolen hardware can be substantial.

How to Protect Your Devices: Remote Wiping and Data Security

The good news is that there are measures your business can take to reduce the risks associated with lost or misplaced devices. Implementing a robust mobile device management (MDM) solution is the key to ensuring that your company’s sensitive information remains secure, even if a device is lost.

#1: Enable Remote Wiping

Remote wiping is a critical feature in today’s cybersecurity strategy. This capability allows you to erase all data from a device that has been lost or stolen, remotely. By remotely wiping the device, you can ensure that any confidential or sensitive data is permanently deleted, keeping it from falling into the wrong hands. Most modern MDM solutions allow you to execute this remotely via an online portal, offering immediate action that can mitigate potential damage.

Data encryption part of mobile device management (MDM) #2: Data Encryption

Alongside remote wiping, encrypting all sensitive data stored on devices is a must. Encryption ensures that, even if a device is found by an unauthorized person, the data cannot be accessed without the proper decryption key. This adds an extra layer of protection and ensures that the integrity of your business’s data is maintained.

#3: Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Mandating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication across all devices adds another layer of security. Even if a device is lost, having these security measures in place makes it much harder for hackers or unauthorized individuals to access sensitive company data.

How to Implement Proactive Device Security Measures in Your Business

To prevent issues related to lost or misplaced devices from escalating, it’s important to incorporate a comprehensive device management strategy. Here are steps your business can take:

Establish a Device Policy

Create clear policies regarding the use of company devices, including the procedures employees must follow if a device is lost or stolen. Make sure that all employees are aware of the potential consequences of a data breach and understand the importance of data protection.

Invest in Device Tracking Solutions

Consider investing in tracking software that allows you to track the location of lost devices. These tools can help you locate and recover devices more quickly, minimizing the risk of data loss.

Protect Your Company Devices

By putting the right processes in place and leveraging modern technology like remote wiping, encryption, and device management solutions, your company can effectively protect its data and minimize the impact of lost or misplaced devices. With these security measures, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your business’s sensitive information is safeguarded.

Want to learn more about utilizing Mobile Device Management? Business Information Solutions is here to help. Book a meeting below with Phillip Long!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Phillip Long, CEO of BIS - Managed IT Services Provider

Phillip Long – CISSP, CEO of , along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.

You may reach out to us at:
Phone: 251-405-2555
Email: support@askbis.com

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest