Hi. Craig Peterson here with a blink into mobile device security.
The true cost of a lost mobile device goes far beyond the cost of replacement. Totaling up the expense of lost productivity, downtime, support, and management time, the average loss exceeds $49,000.
The first line of defense is to look after your mobile business assets:
- Both Apple and Microsoft provide full-disk encryption that you can enable. If your device is lost or stolen, at least the data is secure.
- Keep your devices with you and in sight at all times, and never leave them in hotels, cars etc.
- Secure the devices using good password hygiene and encryption.
- Employers need a mobile device management program for all your business-owned devices to enforce your encryption and recovery policies.
My brother had his smartphone stolen while at a family wedding overseas. It had all of his business contacts and emails on it, but it did have a passcode and was encrypted. Using Find My iPhone we were able to recover everything before returning home.
In review:
- Always encrypt your mobile devices, and for that matter even your desktops
- Never leave mobile devices unattended
- Use great passwords along with a password manager
- To find or lock any of your mobile devices, use Find my iPhone or Find my Device for Windows when they go missing
It could save $49,000 or more.
