Android devices bring Los Angeles distributors a host of new possibilities to work faster and smarter. Employees can use them to access corporate web-based applications from the warehouse. They can run native apps with sales catalogs, parts descriptions, and reseller tariffs when they’re on the road.
However, if care is not taken, the data they use can be exposed to hackers or the devices themselves infected by malware. To stay safe, distributors secure Android devices by following the tips below.
Keep Android Up to Date
The Android mobile operating system was designed with security in mind. New security holes are fixed by updates or new versions of the OS. However, the benefits of improved security only apply if those updates are then installed on the Android devices. Forward thinking distributors restrict corporate IT access to only those devices that are kept up to date.
Install Anti-Malware Software
While the OS itself is robust, malware programs can install themselves and play havoc, for example by making unexpected premium-rate phone calls: the malware creator then garners the call revenue. Malware can arrive through app downloads or innocent-looking links in emails. Making anti-malware software mandatory (and supplying it for free to employees) prevents problems.
Lock Access to the Device
At a basic level, define a PIN, pattern, or password that must be used to unlock the screen of the device. This prevents guessing the sequence by looking at the position of the fingerprint smudges. Other attempts can be foiled by setting a SIM card lock that requires a PIN when an Android device is started.
Back Up Data
Any important data that is stored on an Android device must be backed up. If not, the loss or damage of the device (falling out of a pocket, for instance) could make it impossible to recover information. Both Android-to-PC and Android-to-cloud backup solutions are available.
Keep Data off the Android Device
Files accessed through an Android device do not have to stay on the device. Later generation devices including Android smartphones support external USB storage, either via cable or wireless connections.
Use a ‘Forget-Me-Not’ Accessory
Wearable computing solutions now extend to accessories that send an alert when they are beyond a certain distance from the Android device they are monitoring. This is handy for forgetful employees who risk leaving their tablet or smartphone in a restaurant. It can also avoid long treks back and forth between the warehouse and accounting, for the same reason.
Educate Users
A distributor can impose secure Android measures, but the end-user behavior is still a determining factor. What may seem like common sense to you may need to be spelled out for others. Basic information security awareness training can prevent problems with users revealing passwords when they should not, or using unsecured networks to transmit confidential company information.
Remote Wipe
If an Android device disappears or is stolen, then at least make the data it holds unavailable to any third party. Remote wipe capabilities exist in different forms. They include selective deletion of information (corporate, but not personal, for example), or geo-fencing to trigger data wiping if the device is taken further than a given distance from company premises.
Will you secure Android devices for your Los Angeles distribution employees? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
To follow up on the tips in this article, download your free guide, How COOs at Los Angeles Distributors and Manufacturers Get More Done: A Guide to Productivity, Data, Staffing, Delegation, and Making It Home for Dinner Most Nights.