Although enterprises have always valued strong data encryption, it’s never been more critical than now. That’s because, in many cases, organizations have moved their most critical business systems and workflows to the cloud, and sensitive business data can be accessed and updated anywhere from smartphones and tablets.

These mobile-powered digital transformation initiatives yield significant benefits, helping enterprises become more agile, take greater advantage of analytics and deliver an improved customer experience. However, it means the mobile devices that business professionals use are tied even more directly to critical business outcomes — and that the consequences of falling victim to malware and other mobile security issues can be devastating.

No matter how mobility fits into an organization’s priorities and strategies, Samsung Knox is designed to provide enterprise leaders with the peace of mind and the flexible solution set they need in an increasingly mobile world.

Here are five key ways that Knox can keep your mobile devices secure.

1. Device integrity from the start

Any lingering doubts about Android’s ability to work in large organizations that put a premium on security have been laid to rest by the Samsung Knox platform. Knox provides enterprises with a rock-solid foundation as they begin a mobile initiative. A multilayered security platform, Knox extends up from the chipset (which features a Trusted Execution Environment) to the operating system (the integrity of which is verified at boot and during runtime) and application permissions.

The strength of the Knox platform is validated by global research firm Gartner, which gave the Knox version 3.2 a total of 27 out of 30 “strong” ratings in its May 2019 mobile security platform comparison report.

As governments and regulated industries continue to refine the security requirements to protect data and privacy, Samsung is committed to making sure the Knox platform can help enterprises achieve compliance and mitigate risks.

2. Business and personal data can coexist

One of the ongoing challenges of deploying mobile devices in the enterprise is recognizing that employees may want to run apps and store content for personal use in addition to accessing business applications and data.

In the past, IT often instituted device use policies that prohibited or limited the use of particular apps and content. Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE) provides a more effective alternative by introducing features to isolate and encrypt business apps and data in containers, both at rest and in motion.

By deploying a separate enterprise container on the mobile device, administrators can ensure enterprise apps and data are protected against malicious apps inadvertently downloaded from third-party marketplaces and reduce risk of data leakage. If a device is lost or the employee leaves the organization, the dual persona provided by Knox Platform for Enterprise means the remote wipe tools can be used to erase the business partition and leave personal content and apps untouched.

Knox 3.3, released earlier this year, adds Knox Dual Data-at-Rest (DAR). Enterprises can now add two layers of encryption so that, whether a device is powered off or in an unauthenticated state, it can continue to be fully protected.

3. Streamlining configuration

Every business has unique needs, and line of business leaders are constantly innovating new ways to create value through mobile devices and apps. The challenge for IT departments has been keeping up with the customization that the business demands, and then provisioning, securing and updating large fleets of mobile devices.

Knox Configure addresses this hurdle head-on by offering a cloud-based approach to setting up a profile and pushing it to thousands or even tens of thousands of devices. This can all be done remotely, reflecting the day-to-day realities of large global organizations with highly distributed workforces. This simplifies IT’s job not only when devices are first deployed, but as changes to configuration are made over time.

Advanced configuration can improve both the user experience and the security of the device. Apps and settings can be preloaded so that everything is right there for the user from the moment they power up. To enhance security, device features that aren’t necessary for the specific business use case can be disabled or locked down. In a nutshell, Knox Configure lets you transform a smartphone into a fully customized business tool.

4. Simplifying mobile device management

As mobile usage at work has increased, most enterprises have moved quickly to invest in mobile device management (MDM) tools to help monitor and secure all the new mobile endpoints tapping into their network.

For small and medium-sized businesses that haven’t addressed this yet, Samsung Knox Manage provides an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution, handling everything from event-based management and device location tracking to app whitelisting and blocklisting.

Larger organizations don’t need to replace their existing MDM or enterprise mobile management solution (EMM), however, since Samsung Knox already integrates closely with all the leading solutions, including BlackBerry, Citrix, IBM MaaS360, Microsoft Intune, MobileIron, SOTI and VMware.

Knox 3.3, meanwhile, allows enterprises to configure EMM-based network platform analytics (NPA) tools to receive network statistics while the network is active and gather analytics efficiently for long sessions.

5. Staying current with updates and patches

Outdated device firmware represents one of the biggest points of vulnerability that can lead to malware infections and exploits. Managing the constant stream of patches, however, adds an additional burden on IT departments that may already be struggling to keep up with patching their desktop fleets.

Samsung Knox Enterprise Firmware-Over-The-Air (E-FOTA) not only helps IT teams deploy all the right patches on schedule, but also lets them conduct testing first to ensure compatibility between apps and the latest versions of their mobile operating system. Best of all, E-FOTA allows this to happen without user interaction, meaning they don’t have to stop or interrupt their work in order to receive an update. Even unattended devices can be addressed so they’re ready the next time employees turn them on.

Samsung Knox is the company’s commitment to ensuring enterprise customers’ data is safe on Galaxy mobile devices, providing IT administrators peace of mind, and users the freedom to work and play in any way they want.

Find out how to safeguard your enterprise with an incident response plan by downloading this free white paper.

In some cases, that feeling of helplessness is real, particularly if you’re working for a smaller business that doesn’t have a formal security role or a dedicated team to assess and mitigate potential risks.

However, fending off potential security issues is especially important for these small and midsize firms. Given that their employees tend to juggle multiple responsibilities, they rely on mobile devices to go wherever they’re needed while staying connected to corporate data and applications.

Here are 10 ways your organization can remain proactive in its approach to mobile security and management.

1. Make upgrading a priority

According to the most recent NPD Connected Intelligence Mobile Connectivity Report, the average upgrade cycle for smartphones in the U.S. is 32 months — nearly three years. That reflects how often consumers make the move to a new device, and it’s up from 25 months the year before.

That kind of cadence might be fine for people who are only using their devices for personal apps and content, but businesses need to approach upgrade decisions differently. Security researchers learn a lot about the changing tactics of malware authors, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attackers and ransomware campaigns in a three-year period. So do device manufacturers, who are building in protections that specifically address common attack vectors as networks evolve to 5G.

In BYOD environments, it’s critical to set minimum requirements for the devices that are allowed to access corporate systems and apps. Beyond three years from initial release, many devices stop receiving regular OS updates and security patches, making them more vulnerable to new exploits.

If you’re dealing with constrained IT resources, you have to determine the tradeoff between trying to figure out a mobile security strategy on your own and simply making use of what is already market-ready and available to businesses.

2. Make MDM a mainstay

Companies have always made sure they could keep track of the equipment they’ve purchased, but there’s a difference between monitoring what happens on an oil rig that never moves and a fleet of smartphones that have been deployed to on-the-go employees.

While mobile device management (MDM) has been adopted by most enterprises, smaller firms have plenty of reasons to explore it as well. MDM tools can be helpful to companies that offer a bring your own device (BYOD) program but want to make sure employee devices don’t open them up to security threats.

While choosing an MDM solution will take some research, midsize firms can get a head start by making sure the devices they deploy or recommend to employees incorporate security capabilities from the chip up.

3. Whitelisting and blocklisting

Many security threats penetrate companies due to user errors which are often just honest mistakes. Employees might not realize by downloading an app, for instance, that they are effectively leaving the door open to have corporate data stolen from their smartphone.

Whitelisting and blocklisting apps via MDM helps protect employees — and their employers — from these kinds of risks by making it clear which apps and sites are safe.

Blocklists give IT departments peace of mind by blocking access to certain apps and sending notifications when an attempt is made. Whitelists, on the other hand, may be more effective for highlighting the mobile tools employees should be prioritizing over games and social media.

4. Two-factor authentication and biometrics

Weak and easily forgotten passwords can make it simple for rogue third parties to gain access to mobile devices. Two-factor authentication is a straightforward way for small and midsized businesses to begin developing a layered mobile security strategy.

While tokens have sometimes been used as part of two-factor authentication, fingerprints and other biometric identifiers are quickly gaining ground. In fact, 70 percent of businesses will use biometrics for workforce access by 2022, according to market research firm Gartner. Biometrics can be used in tandem with the data separation technologies discussed below.

5. Get comfortable with customization

When new hires are brought on board, they usually aren’t given keys to every filing cabinet, the company’s banking credentials or other proprietary data that require a certain level of seniority or privilege. In the same way, it doesn’t make sense to grant every employee unfettered access to all manner of corporate apps and data.

IT managers can get around this with tools that let them customize mobile devices before they are handed out to their workforce. A good example is Samsung’s Knox Configure, which enables businesses to create a myriad of simple-use scenarios, from customizing boot-up screens to creating dedicated-use devices with only work-related apps.

6. Separate work and play

Even if they don’t have a dedicated desk with their own drawers, companies often offer employees a safe place of some kind where they can place personal items and secure them until they’re needed at the end of the day. Strong mobile security involves taking a very similar approach to the way data and apps are partitioned on the device.

Containerization, for example, allows smartphones to create separate workspaces of business apps and content that can be centrally protected and managed. Administrators don’t need access to an employee’s personal apps or data and can therefore provide the optimum mix of flexibility and security. This lets IT departments lock down sensitive company information, while letting employees maintain confidence in their personal privacy.

7. Ease the updating process

Just as new security threats are constantly cropping up, companies are simultaneously developing fixes that can be applied to mobile devices. Unfortunately, that often puts the burden on a company’s IT resources (which can be scarce or spread thin in midsized firms) to apply all the right patches on a regular basis. According to IDG’s 2019 Security Priorities Study, patch management is still one of the most widely used methods for large enterprises to combat security threats, and smaller firms should do the same.

Technologies such as electronic firmware over-the-air (E-FOTA) mean employees don’t have to wait while patches or other updates are being pushed to their devices. Instead, updates can be scheduled across the entire team, ensuring all updates are tested and compatible, and all devices are uniform.

8. Keep policies current

If employees fall victim to a phishing scheme and get locked out of their devices, or data loss occurs because settings were somehow tampered with, a company will probably be quick to outline an updated mobile security policy for everyone to follow.

Rather than wait until disaster strikes, however, the most successful organizations stay on top of security issues and get in front of them from a policy perspective. At least every six months, review your mobile security posture, from your ability to monitor device usage, points of vulnerability and the age of your smartphone fleet.

Then, look forward to new devices that might be integrated into your workforce as part of new hire onboarding or upgrades across a department. Make sure updated policies are well documented. Of course, make sure employees are held accountable for reviewing and adhering to the policy as well.

9. User training and security awareness

The IDG study showed that almost a third of those surveyed, or 31 percent, cited employee training as one of the top areas where they fall short. “This speaks to the perpetual problem of employees as a security risk,” the authors wrote.

Training and security awareness is never a once-and-done activity, but something that should be treated as an ongoing work in progress. The companies that do this successfully make sure the content is easy to understand and available through different channels depending on their preference. Examples could include tips in an employee newsletter, an instructional video on a company intranet or even push notifications sent to all employee smartphones.

10. Seek a scaleable path

A small company might not be small forever. Growth can come quickly via a strategic initiative to expand into a new market or territory, an M&A or some other tipping point. What won’t change is the need for your workforce to be equipped with the best tools available to do their jobs from wherever they are.

Of course, configuring and provisioning devices one by one is a nonstarter for IT departments, so think about how you can find an MDM tool or related application that will streamline this process as the organization evolves.

Fortunately, none of the Android mobile security tips outlined here have to be developed from scratch. Solutions such as Knox Manage and Knox Configure were deliberately designed to help organizations from small firms to large enterprises with the ability to secure, manage and provision smartphones successfully.

Secure Folder leverages the defense-grade Samsung Knox security platform to create a private, encrypted space on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Apps and data moved to Secure Folder are sandboxed separately on the device and gain an additional layer of security and privacy, thus further protecting them from malicious attacks. Furthermore, users must use an authentication method such as PIN, pattern, passcode or biometric verification such as fingerprint authentication to access and manage Secure Folder.

Users may leverage this feature to store and encrypt personal and private content, such as apps, images and documents, and keep them hidden. They can also make copies of their favorite apps and easily access them via alternate profiles. Any notes, photos, contacts or browsing history within the apps stored in Secure Folder will remain separate from the same apps outside Secure Folder.

This is especially useful for those who want to ensure that banking information or apps that store large amounts of personal data stay private when lending out their phones to friends, family members or colleagues.

With a simple design along with easy setup using a Samsung Account, Secure Folder is as convenient as it is secure. Sensitive data can easily be moved to Secure Folder by selecting Move to Secure Folder from native apps such as Gallery, My files, or Contacts, or by tapping Add files inside Secure Folder.

For additional privacy, users can also customize their Secure Folder by changing its name and icon. They can also hide the Secure Folder icon from their home screen altogether using Quick Panel.

Users can customize Secure Folder by changing its name and icon (left), or hide the Secure Folder icon from their home screen altogether via the Quick Panel (middle, right).

Secure Folder also supports cloud-based backup and restore (BnR) to provide users with an easy way to migrate to a new device. Backup data in the Secure Folder is isolated from other general backup files. Therefore, backup data can only be restored through the Settings inside Secure Folder, and only by the original Samsung Account user.

Secure Folder is available for download from Galaxy Apps, and is compatible with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones supporting Android OS 7.0 or later versions. Samsung plans to extend support to additional devices soon.