<p>To protect corporate data and prevent security incidents, IT must have a program in place to audit the mobile endpoints that access business systems and data.</p>
<p>What falls under the category of “mobile device” for auditing has evolved over the years. While smartphones and tablets might come to mind first, mobile device security audits should also account for laptops, <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/BYOD”>BYOD </a>endpoints and other portable or network-connected devices that can access corporate resources.</p>
<p>A comprehensive mobile device audit program helps IT understand which devices are in use, how they are managed, what data they can access and whether they comply with security policies. Strong security controls are crucial as employees use more devices across office, remote and hybrid work environments.</p>
<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Why are mobile device security audits important?”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Why are mobile device security audits important?</h2>
<p>Mobile devices store and transmit sensitive data on both managed and unmanaged networks. To mitigate risk, IT departments should conduct a mobile device security audit to systematically evaluate their organization’s mobile device security measures.</p>
<p>A mobile device security audit assesses details such as the types of devices, OS versions, policies, access control, software updates and encryption. By examining these features, organizations can figure out how secure corporate resources are against potential data breaches.</p>
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A mobile device audit program should give IT a repeatable way to assess mobile risk, not just a one-time checklist.
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<p>Mobile auditing in the enterprise is not just about cellphones. It should be narrower than a complete network audit, but broad enough to include the portable and network-connected endpoints that can access corporate resources. That can include smartphones, tablets, laptops, BYOD devices and some IoT devices, depending on how they connect and what data or systems they can reach.</p>
<p>Some devices might seem fixed to one place or only serve one purpose, but they can still pose issues if they connect to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or corporate networks. The goal is not to treat every connected device the same way, but to decide which devices create mobile or endpoint risk and include them in the right audit scope.</p>
<p>For example, if an organization relies on shared network credentials or weak access controls, an employee or attacker might connect an unmanaged device to the corporate network. IT admins need to know what that device is, what network segment it can reach, whether it is sending data and whether it creates a path to more sensitive systems.</p>
<p>It’s important to consider factors such as OS version, manufacturer support, ownership model, patch status, app inventory, network access and network segmentation in a mobile audit. Because network security is a key component of mobile security, IT admins should separate high-risk or unmanaged devices from critical corporate infrastructure through segmentation, access controls and monitoring.</p>
<p>An audit shouldn’t be a one-and-done task; it should be a recurrent part of a broader program. Regular audits help IT strengthen cybersecurity measures and keep them up to date, while educating end users on <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/feature/7-mobile-device-security-best-practices-for-businesses”>best practices for mobile security</a>.</p>
<figure class=”main-article-image full-col” data-img-fullsize=”https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_computing-mobile_security-f.png”>
<img data-src=”https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_computing-mobile_security-f_mobile.png” class=”lazy” data-srcset=”https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_computing-mobile_security-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_computing-mobile_security-f.png 1280w” alt=”Graphic showing the top mobile security threats: malware attacks, phishing, lost or stolen devices, cross-app data sharing and unpatched OSes.” height=”220″ width=”560″>
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<i class=”icon pictures” data-icon=”z”></i>A mobile device audit program should include measures to prevent and address common security threats, including malware, phishing and lost or stolen devices.
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