If you’re looking to elevate your existing cybersecurity framework, it’s time to delve into the benefits of device compliance policies.

These security assessment tools are essential for organisations around Ireland who strive to further safeguard their data, employees and livelihoods at a time when businesses of all sizes are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cybercrime.

If you’re new to the world of device compliance policies, read on to discover how they can help to protect your organisation’s systems, data and users from a wide range of security threats.

 

What are device compliance policies?

At a glance, device compliance policies have a few key functions:

• To ensure every user device aligns with your company’s minimum security stipulations
• To ensure devices that attempt to gain access to your network are deemed safe to do so
• To ensure that only compliant devices can access sensitive, confidential data.

All of the above is achieved through a Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform, such as Microsoft Intune, which ensures that only devices that satisfy your company’s security rules will be deemed compliant.

According to Microsoft, these rules may include “requiring devices run a minimum OS version, not being jailbroken or rooted, and being at or under a threat level as specified by threat management software that integrates with Intune”.

 

The growing importance of device compliance policies

Recent statistics reveal that 81% of organisations have already adopted Zero Trust or are in the process of doing so. Device compliance policies are an integral part of implementing this framework.

Nowadays, with a continued preference for hybrid work models and bring your own device (BYOD) protocols, employees frequently connect to company resources from varied locations and personal devices. Each of these endpoints is a potential attack surface if left unprotected.

This is where device compliance policies come into play, providing an added layer of protection against looming security threats by preventing unauthorised access to your business systems.

 

 

How to implement device compliance policies

To implement device compliance policies successfully, you must follow several key steps:

• Establish baseline compliance rules for devices within your company, including elements like encryption, enhanced password security, jailbreak blocking, and more.
• Using Microsoft Intune, you can then create bespoke policies on the “Devices” page and configure your settings accordingly.
• On the “Actions for noncompliance” tab, you can select a sequence of actions to apply automatically to non-compliant devices, such as issuing a notification email to the device user informing them of potential non-compliance and offering next-step advice on how to troubleshoot any problems.
• Using both Microsoft Intune and Entra ID, you can integrate device compliance policies with Conditional Access policies to enhance access controls.
• Through Intune, you can also set stipulations for non-compliant devices, including setting up “grace periods”. These grace periods enable users to configure a new device, or perform required updates on existing devices, before their access is officially blocked.

To ensure you’re optimising the capabilities of device management policies, it’s wise to partner with an expert managed IT provider, who will oversee seamless configurations, effective Conditional Access implementation and provide continuous monitoring to assess its effectiveness.

 

Device compliance policies: just one piece of the cybersecurity puzzle

While device compliance policies are a crucial part of an organisation’s overarching cybersecurity strategy, particularly for mitigating the risks associated with BYOD, they are only one piece of the larger puzzle.

True protection against a myriad of cyber threats can be achieved by combining device compliance policies with other proven security strategies. These include:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) – limits unauthorised access and dramatically reduces your risk of compromise.
• Role-based access control (RBAC) – gives employees access only to the information they require to do their jobs.
• Automated patch management – scans endpoints to address vulnerabilities and close up security holes.
• Unified secure cloud – increases visibility across all layers of a company’s digital infrastructure, ensuring everything from threat alerts to compliance is heavily monitored.

At Arbelos, we provide comprehensive IT security and compliance solutions to businesses all around Ireland. Utilising the strategies mentioned above, along with a range of other cybersecurity measures, our team works to uncover hidden risks in your IT setup and create a tailored response package that meets the unique needs of your business.

 

 

Unleash the power of unparalleled IT security with the help of Arbelos

For almost 20 years, our team of experts at Arbelos have been helping Irish businesses to drastically improve their security posture, ensuring they remain competitive and protected from evolving cyber threats.

Our 99% customer retention rate is largely down to our wide range of IT solutions, which comprise everything from network security and compliance assessments to emergency response.

We support organisations to implement a Zero Trust security model by providing complimentary cybersecurity audits, in-depth Microsoft 365 and Azure security assessments, and fully managed IT support, including the implementation of device compliance policies, to keep your systems secure and your business protected.

If you’d like to learn more about building unmatched business resilience through our advanced security technologies and tailored services, get in touch with our team of experts today.