IT security and data protection company Sophos today introduced Sophos Mobile Control, a solution to help safeguard data on smartphones and handheld devices, including Apple iPhones and iPads, Google Android, and Windows Mobile devices.
An extension to its data protection and endpoint security product lines, Sophos Mobile Control provides mobile device management, enabling the ability to secure, monitor, and control the configuration of mobile devices connecting to the corporate network, allowing similar levels of control and protection with company laptops and desktops.
Sophos Mobile Control web-based console enables IT managers to:
• Secure mobile devices by centrally configuring security settings, enabling lockdown of unwanted features; and remote over-the-air lock or wipe if device is lost or stolen
• Enable consistent security policy enforcement, strong password policy and lock period, control and installation of applications, blocking use of cameras, browsers, etc.
• Eliminate administrative burden with a self-service portal that allows end users to register new devices and lock or wipe lost phones
• Control the access to corporate email via a secure gate allowing only properly secured and registered devices to access email
“The explosion of smartphones and tablets, and especially the applications for these mobile devices, has pushed the presence of our corporate data even further out of the corporate data center. The ability to protect our clients by maintaining security controls around this data is critical for businesses, especially financial services companies. We have to know what devices have our data and have the ability to encrypt them, lock them, and wipe them if they are lost or stolen. Having a robust mobile management platform is a prerequisite to taking advantage of all the opportunities that these new devices offer,” said Pat Patterson, Information Security Architect, Raymond James a Sophos customer.
Smart phones sales exploding worldwide. Gartner research has shown that smart phone sales in 2010 Q3 accounted for nearly 20% of all mobile device sales, with a growth of nearly 100% since the same quarter the previous year. Threats targeting the fast growing smartphone and tablet markets top the list of cyber concerns in 2011 according to several firms and recent reports.
Sophos Mobile Control will be available in Q2 2011.
