Remember when device management meant a shared spreadsheet to track who had what and a basic password policy? Those days are long gone. As technology advances and workforces become more mobile, outdated management methods won't cut it. If you're still sharing passwords, it's time to take a look at your security.
For growing businesses, device management is more than knowing who has what. It's a foundation of security, productivity, and compliance. A robust device management strategy is essential as your organization grows and your digital footprint expands. Not only is it critical for protecting sensitive data, it's also key to efficiency and compliance.
If you encounter any of the following signs, it’s clear that your business has outgrown essential device management.
Sign #1: Your manual processes are eating up too much time
As your business grows, so does the number of devices you need to manage. When manual processes start taking up more time than they save, you know it's time to transform your device management strategy.
Watch for these red flags
Certain warning signs can reveal when your current approach to device management is no longer sustainable. These red flags often signal that your team’s time is being drained by routine tasks, rather than focused on high-value goals.
- Hours spent tracking down device information: Locating basic device details becomes a time-consuming search through scattered files or outdated systems.
- Constant interruptions for basic device issues: Frequent requests for help with minor issues can interrupt workflows and divert IT resources from more critical tasks.
- Manual software updates taking over your weekends: Regular updates, which should be quick, start to feel like an endless weekend project, eating into personal time.
- Spreadsheets becoming unmanageable: What once worked fine as a tracking tool now struggles to handle the volume, leading to disorganized and error-prone data.
The real cost
If you want a clearer picture of how much these inefficiencies are truly costing your business, take a closer look at the ripple effects. What may seem like minor delays can quickly add up, impacting productivity, security, and overall growth.
- Calculate time spent on manual tasks: Add up the hours your team spends on manual labor each week. You may be surprised at how much time is wasted and how it's affecting productivity.
- Hidden inefficiency costs: Inefficiency costs you money in overtime, increased support requests, and downtime. Remember to factor in the opportunity costs of not being able to add new services or applications to your budget.
- Your ability to work on IT initiatives: With your team focused on day-to-day tasks, you're not able to work on projects that enhance your business or add value to your customers.
- Security risks from delayed updates: Postponing software updates leaves systems exposed to vulnerabilities, raising the risk of security breaches that could be costly in both financial and reputational terms.
Sign #2: You've lost track of who has what
You might forget your phone on the coffee table from time to time, but how will you keep track of 20 or 50 devices for your team? If you're using a spreadsheet to keep track of who has what, it's time to rethink your device strategy. As your business grows, the number of devices circulating can grow exponentially. Without a way to effectively manage devices, you can expect confusion about who has what, when updates are available, and where specific devices are when they go missing.
Warning signals
If any of the following warning signs sound familiar, it’s a clear indicator that a more structured device management system could benefit your team. Addressing these issues now can prevent inventory confusion from escalating and impacting your security and efficiency.
- Guessing during device audits: If you're guessing about what devices you have and where they're located, your tracking method is broken. You need a more effective way to know what's in the field and what's not.
- Devices missing during inventory: If you regularly can't account for certain devices, you've lost control of your inventory. Missing devices can mean sensitive data is at risk, and you'll need to replace them at company expense.
- Forgotten devices during offboarding: If you're not collecting devices during offboarding, you could be exposing sensitive data and incurring unnecessary replacement costs.
- Duplicated device deployments: If you've accidentally assigned the same device to multiple users, you're wasting time and money. Duplicated devices also throw off your inventory numbers and make it difficult to budget for users.
Security implications
If device loss and mismanagement continue unchecked, the consequences go beyond simple inconvenience. Unaccounted devices expose your business to serious risks, potentially impacting data security, compliance, and finances.
- Data access risks: Lost or stolen devices may fall into unauthorized hands, giving others access to sensitive company information and increasing the chance of data breaches.
- Compliance concerns: Many industries have strict data protection regulations; lost devices without proper tracking can lead to non-compliance, exposing your business to penalties.
- Asset depreciation and replacement issues: Poorly managed assets create logistical challenges, making it hard to account for depreciation and replacements, ultimately wasting valuable resources.
- Financial impact of lost devices: Replacing lost and stolen devices is a costly expense you can't plan for; it's pulling away budget from other business needs.
Sign #3: Security incidents are becoming more frequent
As your business expands, the security challenges also grow. If you’re noticing an uptick in security incidents, it may be a signal that your device management approach isn’t keeping pace, leaving your organization exposed to unnecessary risks.
Red flags
There are telltale signs to watch for before security issues spiral out of control. Spotting these red flags early can help you proactively address vulnerabilities and strengthen your defenses.
- Increase in unauthorized access attempts: When malicious actors try to access your system more frequently, it's a sign they've found weaknesses. Tighten access controls before they infiltrate.
- Lost devices taking longer to recover: When it takes more time to locate or secure lost devices, sensitive information remains exposed for longer, heightening the risk of data compromise.
- Rising number of security policy violations: When employees regularly violate policy, it may be a sign security is too lax or burdensome. Simplify security when you can to reduce risk.
- Data breaches or near-misses: If you've had any instances where data almost got breached, you're skating on thin ice. Address weaknesses before you suffer a data breach.
The big picture
You may be wondering why security incidents are such a big deal and why it's important to prevent them. Besides the immediate disruption, security incidents can have long-term effects on your operations and your company's reputation.
- Evolution of security threats: Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and attackers are developing new tactics to exploit outdated or weakly managed systems.
- Financial impact to your business: Security incidents cause financial hardship from recovery costs, downtime, legal fees, and lost business.
- Your reputation: Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. A security breach can damage your reputation and cause clients and partners to question your reliability.
- Legal and compliance consequences: Many industries are bound by strict data protection regulations. Not meeting these standards can result in hefty fines and legal issues, especially in highly regulated industries where compliance is mandatory.
Sign #4 Your team is growing remote
Preparing for remote work is essential, even if your company doesn’t plan on going fully remote. Many employees now use devices outside the office, accessing company resources from various locations. Without effective remote device management, maintaining security, efficiency, and consistency across different environments becomes a significant challenge.
Remote Work Challenges
Remote work brings a unique set of challenges that require thoughtful solutions to keep business operations smooth and secure. As employees work from various locations, managing devices and ensuring consistent security become increasingly complex.
- Devices in multiple locations: When devices are in various homes, coffee shops, or offices, you can't rely on VPNs to track what you have and where it's located.
- Various network environments: Employees connect through diverse networks, some secure, others not, introducing vulnerabilities that IT teams need to address.
- Different time zones: Supporting employees in multiple time zones requires flexible, round-the-clock IT solutions to minimize downtime.
- BYOD and personal devices: When employees use personal devices for work, you can't ensure they have necessary security protections in place, and compliance is more difficult to maintain.
Unique management challenges
While remote work offers flexibility and productivity benefits, it also requires strong support systems to maintain security and efficiency. Managing a remote workforce introduces specific hurdles that must be addressed to keep operations secure and compliant.
- Security policy enforcement: Applying consistent security policies across remote devices can be difficult without centralized control, increasing vulnerability to breaches.
- Software distribution: Ensuring all remote devices have the necessary applications and updates is challenging, often requiring more time and resources to manage effectively.
- Support challenges: Providing timely IT support to remote employees can be complicated, especially when troubleshooting device issues from a distance.
- Compliance verification: Verifying that remote devices meet regulatory standards is tougher without direct oversight, requiring robust monitoring and reporting tools to ensure compliance.
Sign #5: Creeping compliance issues
As your company grows, so does your responsibility to protect sensitive data and meet regulatory standards. Clients and partners expect more from your business, and noncompliance can result in penalties and damage to your reputation. Without a handle on device management, compliance is increasingly complex, and the risks are mounting.
Your industry's expectations
Some industries are held to higher standards, and noncompliance can devastate your business. You must implement strict device management and data protection to maintain trust with clients and partners.
- Industry-specific regulations: Fields like finance and healthcare have strict protocols governing data handling, requiring precise measures for data protection and access control.
- Data protection laws: Regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA enforce rigorous standards for safeguarding sensitive information, pushing companies to adopt comprehensive security practices.
- Client requirements: Many clients expect their vendors to comply with high-security standards to protect shared data, adding another layer of compliance responsibility.
- Insurance demands: Cyber insurance providers often require companies to demonstrate compliance with security protocols to qualify for coverage, especially for those dealing with large volumes of data.
Documentation Struggles
Clear documentation is essential for maintaining compliance and managing devices effectively. Without well-organized records, proving compliance, verifying policy adherence, and tracking device usage becomes challenging, leading to gaps that could jeopardize security and compliance.
- Audit trail gaps: Missing or incomplete records make it difficult to trace actions and demonstrate compliance during audits, increasing the risk of penalties.
- Policy enforcement verification: Documentation ensures that security policies are consistently applied, showing auditors that compliance standards are met across all devices.
- Device history tracking: Detailed records of each device’s usage, updates, and issues provide a clear history, helping to address problems quickly and maintain compliance.
- Access control documentation: Tracking who has access to each device and system helps prevent unauthorized access, reinforcing security and compliance efforts.
The Solution: Modern Device Management
If MDM (Mobile Device Management) wasn't on your radar before, it's time to take a closer look. MDM is not just about tracking devices; it's a way to manage security, compliance, and updates across a mixed environment of devices. As your business grows, MDM is essential for maintaining efficiency, security, and compliance while reducing the administrative hassle on your team.
Key Features Needed
MDM solutions come with essential features that support both security and efficiency, making them indispensable for any organization managing multiple devices. These capabilities not only streamline management but also address critical risks by providing the controls necessary to keep data and operations safe.
- Real-time tracking and inventory: This feature gives you a detailed, up-to-the-minute log of all your devices in the field, so you'll always know where they are and what they're doing.
- Remote security and wipe: This feature allows you to quickly lock or erase devices remotely, should they be lost or stolen.
- Policy management: This feature automates the deployment and updating of security policies to all your devices, saving you time and ensuring consistency across the board.
- Compliance features: Many solutions offer built-in tools to help you meet specific industry regulations, dramatically reducing the risk of non-compliance and penalties.
Benefits of Upgrading
Implementing an MDM solution brings immediate, tangible benefits that elevate both security and efficiency across the business. With automated processes and centralized controls, MDM drastically reduces the time spent on routine management tasks, allowing IT teams to focus on higher-value projects.
- Time savings: Automates device tracking and updates, freeing up valuable IT resources.
- Enhanced security: Provides real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities, protecting data even on remote devices.
- Better compliance: Simplifies meeting regulatory standards, reducing the risk of fines and non-compliance issues.
- Scalability: Easily manages an expanding number of devices, making growth smooth and manageable.
- Peace of mind: Ensures that devices are secure and compliant, allowing leaders to focus on business growth without constant worry.
From Device Chaos to Device Management
The signs that a business has outgrown basic device management are often clear: manual processes eating up valuable time, lost track of device assignments, an increase in security incidents, challenges posed by remote work, and rising compliance demands. Together, these issues indicate a need for a more robust, scalable approach to managing devices.
To protect your organization’s productivity, security, and regulatory standing, now is the time to assess your current device management practices. Identifying specific pain points and vulnerabilities will help guide your next steps toward implementing an MDM solution tailored to your needs, enabling your team to focus on driving growth with confidence.
Using Prey as your MDM
Prey offers a powerful, user-friendly mobile device management (MDM) solution tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. With reliable tracking, security, and asset management tools, Prey simplifies device oversight and enhances data protection. Below is a list of features that make Prey an excellent fit for SMBs seeking a reliable MDM..
Whether you're managing 10 devices or 10,000, Prey keeps things surprisingly simple. Prey offers a powerful, user-friendly mobile device management (MDM) solution tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. With reliable tracking, security, and asset management tools, Prey simplifies device oversight and enhances data protection.
You can monitor remote device locations always on, organize with smart labels, and handle device loans without breaking a sweat. Need to lock down a suspicious device or wipe sensitive data? Do it in seconds, not hours. And with automated actions, you can let Prey handle routine security tasks while focus on what matters.
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