Trust Access and Single Sign-On: How MDM Helps Secure Managed Apple Devices
Whether your team has been pushed to work from home due the COVID-19 pandemic or you’re looking to expand your remote work policy, you may need to reconsider how you approach device security to continue to safely operate.
With cyberattacks on the rise, many organizations that rely on Apple devices are re-evaluating how their end users use their digital credentials to access proprietary software and information. As malware risks soar, IT departments are reconsidering the level of user authentication, from passwords to device encryption to network security and beyond.
If you don’t yet have the technology to remotely monitor and manage all of the Apple devices on your network, it’s not too late to find out what a mobile device management (MDM) solution can do to support your remote team’s security efforts.
How to Securely Manage Apple Devices
Security and compliance come first at Addigy, and we’re proud to offer a host of tools and integrations to support the security measures you need. Addigy’s MDM solution gives IT teams easily assess the current security status of every Apple device in your organization, including their FileVault keys.
In March of 2020, we added single sign-on (SSO) to our Apple Device Management platform, which makes it easy for users to securely access all linked applications and services through once they’re logged in using their Addigy user profile. This makes daily work a seamless experience for end users, which translates to huge savings in time and money over the span of that end user’s work life.
In addition to SSO, we support integrations that ensure that the right person is signed into each end user’s account every time:
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Multifactor authentication (MFA)
- Custom configuration for your VPN
Companies have the option of using Addigy’s two-factor authentication integration, but we’ve built integrations for two-factor authentication with DUO and Okta’s single sign-on.
What Is Trust Access?
With Trust Access, you can grant secure network access to devices enrolled in your MDM solution. With an authenticated Trusted Access certificate, end users can securely access resources without having to go through a new authentication process every time they return to that application or server.
This can also be an asset to IT teams and end users during the onboarding processes. Managed devices or and their corresponding user profiles can gain authorization for Trust Access during set-up, helping them get to work faster and with less hassle along the way.
When your end users need to contact IT or access the resources available to them through Addigy, they shouldn’t need to hunt around for multiple passwords. With integrated user access and SSO, your end users and IT team has easy access to the programs they need to operate securely every day.
Why Live Support Matters: Secure Your Apple Devices with Addigy
Whether an end user encounters an issue with their machine’s speed on an unfamiliar internet connection while they’re working from the road or someone has a question about how to connect to your servers from their home office, with the right MDM solution installed, your IT team has the ability to diagnose software or hardware issues without having to wait for the device facts to sync overnight.
Live support through your Apple device management software is an essential component to your security plan, and the value of real-time software patching can’t be overstated. In recent months, Addigy moved toward a live support model that provides unparalleled monitoring in real time for your network of mobile devices, wherever they’re located on the map.
For example, imagine your organization relies on iPads connected at kiosks in every major American airport. You need to know if those are up, running, and bug-free without delay. With Addigy’s unique feature of MDM Live, you can confirm that all iPads are turned on and operational within a couple of minutes without sending a person in to check on their status.
Should a serious problem arise or a data breach, with live support you have the ability to locate, shut down, and wipe proprietary information from any device.
Mobile Device Management and More to Secure Your Apple Fleet
While all Apple devices come with end-to-end encryption today, it’s a good idea to make sure the managed Apple devices in your environment meet your company’s security requirements.
While we recommend at least two-factor authentication for most environments, the level of security you need will likely depend largely on your industry. Those working in an education environment, the government, or the financial services industry will likely be subject to a longer list of requirements to securely work on mobile devices.
Although advocates have been calling for broad adoption of 2FA for years, it’s proven difficult to convince end users that it’s worth their time and the extra step to their workflow. With the help of an Apple device management tool that enables 2FA or MFA on top of SSO, your company can enforce a higher level of device security and boost morale.
For more information about security integrations and what you can do with an MDM solution, contact our team today.
