Johannesburg - It seems like every time you turn on the news lately there are more stories of companies having their data stolen or corporate networks being hacked into.
Data theft and the hacking of business networks are actually on the rise.
Increasingly these attacks are originating with lost, stolen or hacked mobile devices. This is compounded because many business IT departments still aren’t sure of how to properly secure phones and tablets, or don't place a high priority on locking down these devices.
How can you keep your employees’ mobile devices safe? Here are five ways.
1 A Good Back-up Solution
Before even considering the risk of data theft, secure your mobile devices against common loss or breakage.
The ideal back-up solution is automatic, freeing employees from having to worry about running a regular back-up, and backing things up to a remote cloud server for safe storage.
That way if a member of your sales team drops their phone and it shatters, or forgets a tablet at a conference, you don't lose any of the data on that device.
2 Data Encryption
If a device is lost or stolen, the last thing you want to worry about is someone getting hold of confidential information. Prevent that with data encryption software for all your mobile devices. While most people are okay with using either a short pin or a pattern key to unlock their phones, such measures simply aren't secure enough for business equipment. Fortunately, great encryption solutions are available for all makes and models.
3 Remote Wiping
Even better than encryption is the ability to erase data on a phone as soon as it’s found to have been lost or stolen.
With a good back-up solution, this shouldn't result in any lost data or productivity. Many software solutions exist for executing a remote wipe – speak to your IT team to find one that suits your company's needs. Bear in mind a remote wipe app doesn’t preclude the need for encryption. It also works only if a phone is on and getting a signal.
4 GPS Tracking
“Find my phone” apps are now available for every main operating system. These use GPS antennas in the devices to accurately pinpoint its location if lost or stolen.
They make it much less likely that a stolen phone will get far. Unfortunately, the phone must be on with an open view of the sky (and a network connection) for a tracking app to work.
5 Lock Screen Contact Info
If your lost phone is found by someone, you want them to be able to get in touch with you without having the ability to root through your device and figure out who you are.
If your phone doesn’t have a label with contact info, provide an easy way for people who find it to contact you.
* Aaron Thornton is managing director of Dial a Nerd: e-mail [email protected]