Unmanaged

A device state where the device has no MDM enrollment and operates as a consumer device without organizational oversight or policies.

What to Know

Unmanaged devices accessing corporate resources create security blind spots. IT cannot enforce encryption, passcode requirements, or app restrictions, and has no ability to remotely wipe data if the device is lost. Unmanaged devices also lack automated patching, increasing exposure to vulnerabilities. Organizations that permit unmanaged device access often implement conditional access policies that limit what resources unmanaged devices can reach.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Unmanaged devices include personal devices that access corporate email or cloud services without enrolling in MDM, contractor devices, or older hardware that predates the MDM program. IT should enforce conditional access to ensure unmanaged devices cannot access high-sensitivity resources like file servers, internal databases, or source code repositories.

MSP: Clients often have mixed fleets with legacy unmanaged devices alongside newly managed hardware. MSPs should identify unmanaged devices, assess risk, and propose enrollment or replacement strategies. Some clients accept limited unmanaged access for low-risk users or contractors to avoid the cost of full device management.

Education: Unmanaged devices in education settings typically include parent-owned BYOD devices or guest devices used by visitors. Schools should segment network access so unmanaged devices connect to isolated guest Wi-Fi without access to student data, administrative systems, or internal resources.

In Addigy

Addigy does not track unmanaged devices unless they attempt to enroll or are manually added as placeholders. To identify unmanaged devices on the network, admins should integrate network access control (NAC) tools or conditional access policies that report device enrollment status before granting resource access.