Sophos MDM tool integrates file encryption, AV, Web filtering

Cloud-based file sharing sites were once thought of as purely consumer-focused, but in recent years a growing number of enterprise organizations have taking advantage of the flexibility and economy afforded by the likes of Dropbox, Box and other similar services.

Unfortunate, according to a recent survey by security software vendor Sophos, a large number of organizations are allowing their employees to access such service using company issue devices without encrypting the corporate data they are sharing.

In a survey of more than 725 IT professionals, Sophos found that as much as 84 per cent of companies allow some level of access from company-issued devices to cloud-based data sharing services even when only 38 per cent of respondents admitted they feel secure about sharing and collaborating on corporate content on the cloud.

As many as 65 per cent of the respondents also said they do not encrypt data being transmitted between the mobile devices and the cloud sites.

 

To plug this security hole, Sophos is releasing on Tuesday its Sophos Mobile Control (SMC) 4.0 enterprise mobile management solution. The company said it is the first mobile management tool for the enterprise that includes individual file encryption, integrated AV and Web filtering.

The solution comes in two versions: on-premise; and as-a-service. It supports iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 devices.

“SMC 4.0 extends the Sophos commitment to delivering comprehensive data protection, offering solutions to manage, secure, and protect not just the mobile devices themselves, but also the content and applications on those devices,” said Dan Schiappa, senior vice-president of Sophos’ end user security group. “Additional network access control based on device compliance status makes mobile device management, content management, and mobile security simple and effective.”

SMC is the only EMM solution to offer file-level encryption, which gates access to each file, to protect the data in the office and on the go, according to Sophos. SMC also delivers integrated security against malware and malicious Web sites for Android devices, which account for 80 per cent of smartphone operating systems worldwide as well as the majority of mobile malware threats.

The number of unique pieces of mobile malware seen by SophosLabs has now reached almost 900,000 and is growing rapidly.

SMC enables IT administrators to select Web site categories to control access and block data-stealing or inappropriate Web pages.

The solution also provides a unique integration with Sophos UTM, Checkpoint and Cisco to provide network access control. Compromised devices are isolated from the network, protecting the organization’s assets from malware on mobile devices.

SMC’s user-centric deployment, management, and pricing greatly simplify administration. With an intuitive web-based management console, IT administrators can provide their users with a self-service portal to change passwords, register devices and report lost or stolen devices.

 

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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Nestor Arellano
Nestor Arellano
Toronto-based journalist specializing in technology and business news. Blogs and tweets on the latest tech trends and gadgets.

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