Android for Business Made Clear

With the decline of Blackberry and the increasing number of users wanting to use iOS or Android for work, this gives companies a bit of a headache due to these platforms having more complex problems than the simple deployment and management of Blackberry’s for business.

For a while, iOS has been a lot more popular than Android for companies. Many may not have been keen to embrace Android due to security concerns, But with the potential to lower business expenses and a recent increase in Security measures that myth has been dispelled. So, with Google pushing Android for Work quite heavily, I will try breakdown what you should know and help you get started.

I will quickly explain some of the things you may need to know if your company has decided to look into using Android for Business or if this is something you want to look into these are some of the things you will need to know.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

BYOD has been around for a while now but while it can save the company from having to buy handsets for its users and it can cut costs it also opens up a whole new world of Security issues that need to be resolved but with some

Business Data

Business data is secure by creating a business profile on the device ensuring only that profile can access business data and data leakage policies can be enforced on the device.

Device Security

Security Standards are maintained by blocking Apps from unknown sources being installed on devices and by enforcing a minimum version of Android (e.g.) V4.0.1 Operating System on any Android build standards can be enforced by ensuring the device has specific software installed or settings configured such as……

·         Whole Disk Encryption (WDE)

·         Lock-screen

·         Anti-Virus

·         Remote Attestation (Ensuring no changes are made to the device)

There are also other apps you can have installed on the devices to ensure that ensure unapproved applications cannot run by creating a whitelist. If your company is sold on those points, then the first thing you need to do is get an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) provider. This can be Google directly or a third party provider. These companies can help deliver a Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solution.

Hopefully, this information helps you grasp the concepts behind what needs to be done in order to use an Android smartphone in a business capacity and maximize security to try and mitigate any potential risks to the business.