[Editorial] Leading the Way in Enterprise Mobile Security: Samsung’s Zero Trust Strategy

Today’s world is one of unprecedented innovation and rapidly evolving technology. It’s an era of endless possibilities, coupled with a new set of risks for security and privacy. At Samsung Electronics, we recognize that as we enter these uncharted territories, we must be prepared for potential threats that may arise. That’s why we stay deeply attuned to the ever-changing security landscape and champion a dynamic approach to enterprise security.

The cybersecurity threats of today affect everyone, from consumers to businesses. Enterprise device fleets must be resilient against attacks of all kinds — from suspicious URLs, insider employee threats and malware, to emerging risks associated with AI usage in the workplace, including prompt injection and sensitive data leaks. As a growing number of employees across industries — from corporate offices to the frontlines — use devices to access enterprise networks and resources, these threats not only present significant security risks but may also lead to a substantial financial toll on businesses.

Enterprise security incidents can arise across operations. However, the International Data Corporation (IDC)¹ found that an overwhelming 70 percent of successful breaches originate from endpoints — the devices that connect to networks like phones, laptops and tablets. Unfortunately, in today’s security operations landscape, IT administrators have much less visibility into mobile devices compared to PCs and servers. With mobile devices now being the most common method of employee network access, this has to change. A systematic, comprehensive approach is critical to ensuring seamless mobile capabilities and uncompromising protection. At Samsung, we’re setting a new standard for mobile enterprise security by committing to a collaborative Zero Trust strategy for endpoints in partnership with market leaders.

Core Principles for Zero Trust Endpoint Security

Samsung’s legacy of innovation is built upon our deep understanding of users. We’re constantly listening to feedback from consumers and businesses, anticipating the evolution of mobile technology. This is what enables us to pioneer industry-first solutions for consumers and businesses alike. As the Head of the Global Mobile B2B Team, I’m especially proud of how we’ve led the way in critical areas that deliver value to enterprises across the board. From advancing hardware-backed device attestation and threat detection to fully embracing the security principles of Zero Trust, we are constantly striving to provide our customers with mobile devices and solutions that exceed their security requirements.

Zero Trust is a security framework that replaces implicit trust with explicit trust by continuously assessing security posture, risk and trust levels based on context. The current security solutions market is dominated by network-centric Zero Trust solutions that focus on securing access at the network edge. Unfortunately, this approach by itself neglects a critical blind spot: the endpoint. Endpoints have the largest attack surface and are the most challenging IT assets to protect against cyberattacks. In most cases, they are the most vulnerable points in an organization’s IT ecosystem.

Zero Trust principles for endpoints, when realized correctly, ensure that access requests from endpoints are handled based on context that correlates with the device’s security posture and the user’s needs, and are continuously verified in real time. Although there is no definitive list of core principles behind Zero Trust endpoint protection, the following principles are the most commonly adopted:

• “Never trust, always verify” approach for devices: Devices should no longer be implicitly trusted just because they are within the network boundary. Instead, each device needs to prove its trustworthiness before being granted access.
• Continuous risk assessment and enforcement: Endpoint protection must be agile and ready to adapt to constantly changing risk conditions. This means continuously evaluating context — such as location, time of access and the device’s security posture — and dynamically adjusting security policies accordingly. Suspicious activity needs to be addressed through enforcement actions such as access restrictions or complete isolation.
• Restricted privileges and narrowly scoped access: Endpoints must enforce access control in real time based on context while ensuring privileges are granted dynamically with a narrow scope.
• Incorporation of user identity, device posture and behavioral signals: A Zero Trust-compliant solution needs to make granular and informed trust decisions to enforce tight access controls. To enable such decisions, Zero Trust’s continuous evaluation of context integrates user identity, device posture and behavioral signals.

While the Zero Trust security strategy is growing in adoption, Samsung is fully embracing it. By doing so, we are helping to protect the most vulnerable points in an organization’s IT landscape. Risks related to endpoint security are constantly increasing as cloud-based applications, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs and remote work prevail in the modern workplace environment. Samsung recognizes the critical nature of this problem and is proactively addressing it in collaboration with partners.

Innovation and Collaboration for Security at Every Level

How does this work in practice? From the hardware level and all the way to the operating system and secure interface, Zero Trust security principles are built into the architecture of Samsung Galaxy devices, enhancing protection at every layer while intuitively integrating with a business’s existing security infrastructure. Together, these practices empower enterprises to administer proper threat detection and response securely and reliably.

At Samsung, we recognize that security is a collective effort. It is only through open collaboration with partners that we can bring the most advanced solutions to our customers. In my time at Samsung, we’ve made extensive strides in bringing forth versatile, optimized and secure solutions² for enterprises of all kinds.

In 2024, we integrated Samsung Knox — our defense-grade, multilayer security management platform — with Cisco Secure Access, an innovative Security Service Edge solution. This collaboration delivers a secure and flexible employee access experience, enabling organizations to verify user identity, device posture and context before granting access.

We also have a strong partnership with Microsoft, defined by a shared vision of reimagining mobile device security for business customers. The first step of this strategic plan began in 2023, when we integrated Samsung Knox with Microsoft Intune, creating the industry’s first on-device mobile hardware-backed device attestation solution that works equally well on both company and personal devices. This solution is now enabled by default in all new Android App Protection Policies, empowering organizations to bolster the security posture of all Samsung devices in their fleet. In yet another step forward in our partnership with Microsoft, Samsung has become the industry’s first mobile manufacturer to offer a direct-to-security operations center (SOC) connector. This was achieved through the integration of Knox Asset Intelligence³ and Microsoft Sentinel, a scalable, cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) solution. This integration delivers unprecedented visibility into mobile security threats, providing centralized monitoring and protection across enterprise device fleets.

Working together with partners, Samsung is addressing key challenges in multiple areas — securing mobile devices, minimizing damage from potential attacks and empowering employees to work efficiently and effectively without security concerns getting in their way.

Holistic Security for Enhanced Privacy

We’re constantly innovating, refining and developing Samsung Knox solutions in order to bring our customers enhanced control, greater transparency and better protection against cyber threats.

By embodying Zero Trust as a core pillar of Samsung Knox, every measure is being taken to help secure mobile devices and data. At the same time, Samsung is breaking new ground with first-to-market solutions by constantly keeping a pulse on the ever-changing threat landscape.

As threats become increasingly complex with AI and hyperconnectivity taking center stage, security and privacy are more important now than ever before. Today’s business landscape is constantly being threatened by an increasing volume of cyberattacks that aim to exploit IT vulnerabilities, with mobile devices and other endpoints quickly becoming prime targets.

That’s why Samsung is working with market-leading companies to provide security solutions that work seamlessly with existing infrastructure, offering true end-to-end protection. These collaborative solutions are a testament to our commitment to not only adhere to industry standards but to also drive their continued development when it comes to Zero Trust endpoint security. This is just the beginning.

To learn more about Samsung Knox’s approach to mobile security, visit samsungknox.com.

1 The Hacker News, “10 Critical Endpoint Security Tips You Should Know,” April 26, 2024 (reporting IDC data)

2 Cisco Secure Access, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Sentinel are third-party solutions and paid offerings.

3 Knox Asset Intelligence is a paid offering available through Knox Suite Plans.