Challenge
Traditionally, company data is controlled by the company's internal or on-site network, and the IT department manages the devices and applications that have access. This model is shifting as remote work and contractor hiring increase, causing more companies to enact a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy to reduce costs and improve productivity. However, employees using personal devices to access company data can be a significant security threat.
As mobile applications and enterprise solutions shift to a cloud-based platform, companies are losing the control they had when IT managed access, resulting in an increased risk of compromised devices or data leaks. When an Ohio-based utility company shifted to BYOD, they were concerned about keeping their data secure. They partnered with New Era Technology Alliance to discover the solution to manage:
- Company-owned and personal devices, both iOS and Android
- Who could access company data
- Access to specific types of information
- Protection levels
Solution
Our client already used a mobile device management (MDM) program in place through a third-party vendor. While the software they used allowed their IT department to control administrative and security policies on devices connected to their network, they were dissatisfied with the additional cost and minimal functionality it offered. After careful consideration of different mobile device management solutions, they chose Intune, a Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) product included in their existing subscription.
The utility company connected with New Era's team of security experts to implement Intune and create a comprehensive MDM program. Executing the EMS was not as simple as rolling out an out-of-the-box solution. This was a multi-step project in which our team:
- Set up and configured Intune to meet the specific needs of the utility company
- Defined and created comprehensive device security and compliance policies
- Defined the initial model for data classification
- Identified requirements for information protection use cases
With these steps complete, our client launched their BYOD management solution to over 250 people with immediate benefits.
Implementing the EMS increased security and control by allowing centrally managed identity and access across all devices, the datacenter, and the cloud. In addition to device protection and management, this solution gave them control and access to Office 365 and other applications.
