Living in the era that we are is a pretty wonderful thing. Think about it; the Internet has afforded us so many options when it comes to staying connected, both literally and figuratively, and what the Internet has done for wired computers, mobile technologies have done for smartphones.
With mobile devices being as common as pants, it’s no wonder businesses are saving on their overhead costs and putting access to all the needed tools right on a portable device and sending their employees out into the world. While pretty sweet, doing so comes with its security concerns that business owners shouldn’t rest on. In fact, if you have even one mobile employee with access to your network and sensitive data, you might want to keep a security checklist handy.
CIO covers the basics, like encryption, data leakage protection, and policy management. There are some other measures to take, like limiting confidential information on phones to what is only necessary, as well as being ultra-selective when it comes to choosing which apps to download. Also, users should be aware of public wireless clouds; sometimes you just never know what you’re going to get.
What about accessing mobile devices? Shouldn’t that be approached with caution as well? Yes, 100 percent, absolutely.
While there are quite a few third-party applications that address protecting devices, a great way to access said mobile devices is via an out-of-band management solution. Out-of-band management means that the IT folks can access a device through a dedicated channel just for managing a networked device.
Out-of-band systems offer several benefits, including reduced downtime, testing accuracy, reduction in labor costs and ultimately an increase in real-time system functionality.
It’s a cost-efficient way to network, and allows a secure way for network teams to see what they need to see.
Opengear (News - Alert), a provider of out-of-band solutions, guarantees access and monitoring in spite of an outage with features such as serial console management, service processors, access behind firewalls, and automated management. The out of band approach offers monitoring access and control efficiencies that ensure IT services are available when the business needs them in the safest way possible.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson