The Pivotal Role of UEMs in the Modern Work Environment

Greetings, and welcome back to Hexnode Deep Dive, your one-stop shop where we uncover the intricacies and obstacles that pepper today's modern workplace. This week, let's dive into why UEMs should be part of your organization's first line of defense.??

Devices – specifically digital devices, being the integral component for work, come in various forms and sizes, from desktops and laptops to tablets, smartphones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, with evolving times and work models, enrolling and managing these devices can often be challenging. ?

Employee experience and comfort has become key factors in the modern workplace regarding work choices like remote or hybrid, PC or laptop, Windows or Mac... But they come at the cost of heightened security risks. Businesses now face the daunting task of configuring, managing, and protecting these devices and applications to ensure a secure environment. So, how do we strike the right balance? ?

The expanding device landscape???

Today, organizations of all sizes consider mobility a strategic priority to enhance productivity, cut costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Mobile devices allow employees to interact with corporate data, even in remote environments, ensuring flexibility.????

With a mix of devices like iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux and the increasing adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Corporate-Owned-Personally-Enabled (COPE) policies, device management has been a hassle for IT admins. ?

If not rightly managed, these devices can be a threat to an organization's security, as they can be stolen, hacked, or misused. Therefore, IT departments should focus on how to manage and secure these endpoints.??

Balancing Security and Convenience??

The modern workplace is a delicate balancing act between employee productivity and enterprise security. As the saying goes, "you can't protect what you can't see," which emphasizes the importance of visibility in cybersecurity; organizations must first know what requires safeguarding. ?

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solutions provide IT admins with this visibility, and once the question of what needs protection is addressed, the same UEM can outline how to achieve this through its management capabilities. ??

In an era where the hybrid work paradigm is running supreme, the significance of remote management capabilities cannot be understated. With swift, hands-free bulk enrollment, self-enrollment, and automatic device provisioning, UEMs reduce the administrative burden of BYOD and bulk device enrollment. In the case of BYOD, a separate encrypted work container can be created that segregates and secures corporate data and applications. This approach isolates corporate assets, protecting sensitive information without compromising employee privacy.?

A UEM's remote capabilities don't stop at enrollment but extend to encompass the entire endpoint lifecycle. A prime example is application management. Given the complex cybersecurity landscape, where a multitude of applications are essential for safeguarding data, networks, and endpoints, UEMs emerge as a strategic first line of defense. By centralizing application deployment, UEMs empower administrators to efficiently equip employees with the necessary tools for immediate productivity.?

Another challenge with remote work is dealing with device malfunctions, app crashes, or corrupted drivers. In such a scenario, organizations can swiftly resolve issues with automatic patch management, remote viewing, and remote access, keeping devices running smoothly for maximum productivity. This further extends to missing or stolen devices as well. UEMs can remotely lock these devices, preventing external tampering and even wipe them as a last resort. But what if the device missing is an employee's personal device? In such cases, UEMs can perform a?corporate data wipe to remove the corporate files that are deployed without wiping the user's personal data.? ?

The bottom line is that a UEM's comprehensive approach enables IT admins to adopt a platform-agnostic approach, simplifying operations across local, remote, mobile, and desktop environments.?

Stay tuned for more insights and expertise in the upcoming editions of Hexnode Deep Dive.?????

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