We’re undeniably in the mobile-first era. Those ahead of the curve control their home gadgets via touchscreen toggles or voice prompts they make on their smartphones — while they’re still on the commute from the office. Others have mobile apps that let them order frappes to go as they walk towards the cafe. And now desk-bound staff and laptop warriors alike are now using their personal smartphones for work as well.
 
Unfortunately, the efficiency perks that smartphones provide come with security risks. These devices — and the files they contain — are easy to lose. Moreover, if a careless employee leaves their phone unlocked, another person might steal the device and use the owner’s access credentials to infiltrate and pillage your corporate network.
 
To optimize the capacity of mobile workforces all over the world while at the same time cover them with state-of-the-art security, Microsoft created Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS). Let’s take a look at the components of EMS to see how it can benefit your business.
 

Microsoft Intune

Granting employees access to company-licensed apps and sensitive files is key to making them as productive as possible, but you’ll also have to implement security measures to protect your resources and data. This, in a nutshell, is what Intune is all about. As an endpoint management platform, it allows you to manage all company-owned and employee-owned devices so that these use vetted and up-to-date programs.
 
However, what if clients or vendors want or require access but wish for their devices to remain independent of your controls? That’s no problem, since Intune provides integrated data protection and compliance capabilities so that you can control how users access and use data on Microsoft 365.
 
To illustrate, protected health information (PHI) of individuals is highly regulated and can’t be accessed by just anyone. Intune can facilitate information sharing among medical professionals on a need-to-know basis (e.g., when a patient is brought to a different hospital or requires multiple specialists), but keeps such information private otherwise.
 

Azure Active Directory Premium

With so many laptops and smartphones that employees use, securing them all can be quite the challenge for IT departments. Azure Active Directory (AD) gives IT admins a hand by letting them implement multifactor authentication (MFA), and provide threat and security reports regularly and on demand.
 
It also grants staff single sign-on access for apps they are authorized to access, as well as autonomy to choose the devices and apps they want to use, provided that these belong to the suite of tools already vetted by Microsoft. This means employees can exercise their own judgment on how to maximize their productivity and set themselves up for success on their own (or with the help of 24/7 support) — no need to bother your admins for permissions.
 
Further reading: Is Enterprise Mobility + Security right for small business?
 

Azure Information Protection (AIP)

With AIP, you can classify data according to sensitivity. For instance, financial account information would need greater protection than, let’s say, stock keeping unit details. Based on classifications, rules can then be applied to control viewing, forwarding, and printing privileges of users. In fact, AIP can even track where data goes, so if, for instance, you see R&D files go from your facility in Texas to an unexpected location in Canada, you can prevent those files from ever being seen by the unauthorized users up north.
 

Advanced Threat Analytics

Most cybersecurity tools are signature-based, which means they rely on a database of recognized threats to detect and defeat malicious exploits. While having such tools is necessary, these are not enough to prevent new threats from breaching your defenses. Advanced Threat Analytics works by constantly comparing data-related activity against what it considers to be normal precedents. Behaviors that fall outside the norms, such as processor lag, can be flagged as suspicious and may require further investigation.
 
In fact, Advanced Threat Analytics even has behavioral biometrics. That is, it is able to recognize a user’s typing patterns, so if a hacker gains a higher-up’s access credentials, the program will detect the change in typing cadence and alert your company that someone with ill intentions might be impersonating that higher-up and is up to no good.
 
Let your company adopt a mobile-first mindset to enjoy immense productivity gains, but never compromise on security. To keep your organization safe, turn to SimplyClouds. Consult with our Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security experts to learn more about how you can enjoy all the perks of mobility while avoiding all of its dangerous drawbacks.