In most cases, the strongest compatible security protocol will be WPA2 or even WPA3. Upgrading your WiFi to the latest possible security protocol prevents unauthorized access along with the hacks, data breaches, and heavy data hoarding that can come with it.

Changing WiFi security type is easy. Users need to use an internet-connected device to access their router's admin console, navigate to the security panel, and choose the most robust security protocol supported by their router and devices.

1What do the different WiFi security types mean?

There are four different WiFi security types, each with different features.

Wired Equivalent Privacy

Introduced in 1997, WEP uses the RC4 stream cipher for encryption and static keys that must be manually configured for key management. Because of its numerous security vulnerabilities, WEP is prone to unauthorized access. Bad actors can guess the static key to decrypt the encryption key and gain access to the user's data and content. As a result, WEP has largely been deprecated in favor of the stronger security protocols on this list.

WiFi Protected Access

WPA came six years after WEP to address security issues with its predecessor. Although still based on RC4, WPA uses temporal key integrity protocol (TKIP), which dynamically changes keys to enhance security. The WPA also used 256-bit keys, a significant improvement over WEP, which was limited to 64—and 128-bit keys. While stronger than WEP, WPA is still prone to unauthorized access, so it has been phased out, save for some legacy systems, in favor of WPA2.

WiFi Protected Access II (WPA2)

WPA2 succeeded WPA in 2004 as the standard for wireless security in personal and enterprise WiFi networks. When properly implemented, WAP2 is highly secure, relying on the advanced encryption standard (AES), which was originally developed by the US government and is so strong it would take billions of years to crack. WPA2 is also paired with the counter mode cipher block chaining message authentication code protocol, which improves upon WPA's key management.

WiFi Protected Access III (WPA3)

WPA3 came in 2003 and represents the highest level of cybersecurity: It makes WiFi networks highly resistant to brute force and other attacks. WPA3 is widely used in enterprise environments, especially in sensitive industries such as banking, healthcare, or education. WPA3 abandons the pre-shared key (PSK) encryption method in favor of simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) for key exchange.

Multiple redundancies exist for security, such as key management, which prevents the compromise of session keys even if a long-term key is compromised. Finally, WP3 also introduces unique encryption to each connected device, preventing the entire network from being compromised, even if a single one is.

2How to change WiFi security type?

Most people are accustomed to interacting with their WiFi through the dropdown list on their laptop or mobile phone. As a result, they will often go to this area in an attempt to change their WiFi security type there.

In actuality, users must follow these steps.

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• Network compliance management.
• Bulk-configure corporate devices to connect to the office Wi-Fi automatically.
• Configure the use of VPN according to the needs of the company.
• Disable network sharing to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

3What are the benefits of securing your WiFi network

Most of the literature about securing WiFi networks focuses on worst-case scenarios. While it is important to highlight what can go wrong, this type of storytelling does not always inspire people to take action. People will assume that these disasters will not happen to them.

Because of this reality, it is equally important to highlight the numerous benefits of securing a WiFi network.

Data security

Individuals and businesses that secure their WiFi networks ultimately secure their data. They can rest easy knowing that the chances of hackers stealing their data are slim to none.

Dealing with compromised personal or financial information is an enormous amount of work. Victims may need to cancel and reissue credit cards, change passwords, and monitor their online accounts for suspicious activity. These tasks are stressful and take time away from more important life matters.

Fast and reliable connectivity

As mentioned earlier, unauthorized internet access often leads to slower connectivity. If neighbors use your internet for data-intensive uses, your household may quickly hit its daily cap. Your internet service provider will thus throttle your speed to reduce bandwidth, affecting your legitimate use.

Individuals who secure their WiFi network will never have to deal with sudden, unexpected drops in internet speed. When they need to use the internet for work or school, they can always rely on a consistent and reliable connection.

Peace of mind

Whether they are against individuals or businesses, cyber-attacks are extremely stressful affairs. For example, many small business owners report suicidal thoughts in the wake of a ransomware attack that brings their operations to a halt. Even if the negative feelings may not always be as extreme as suicidal ideation, victims may feel depressed, anxious, scared, and other negative sentiments.

When people secure their WiFi networks, they do not have to worry about the havoc a cyber attack can create on their lives or business. They have peace of mind that they have taken necessary measures to protect their WiFi from unauthorized access and cyber-attacks.

Business continuity

Unauthorized WiFi access can lead to serious disruption for businesses. To prevent data breaches, businesses must strengthen their systems, investigate the incident, warn any third-party stakeholders if their data or assets have been compromised, and develop a detailed plan to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Incident response drains resources. Businesses that secure their WiFi network in advance can spare themselves this exhausting rigamarole. Instead, they can maintain business continuity and focus on what matters most: growing their business.

4Who can gain access to unsecured WiFi?

People tend to overlook the security of their WiFi. They assume their WiFi is not important enough for people to exploit. The reality, however, is that every WiFi has a range of potential attackers.

5Strengthening your cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a complex and ever-changing field. However, individuals and businesses must start with the basics before going to advanced cybersecurity measures, which involve choosing the right WiFi security type.

In general, users should avoid WEP and WAP security protocols in favor of WAP2 or WAP3, which are far more secure options. These latter-generation security protocols have stronger protections in terms of encryption and key management, so your WiFi network and devices remain secure.

Strengthening your WiFi security type will prevent all the bad actors, including unauthorized users, data thieves, and hackers, from victimizing you. There are numerous advantages to proactively choosing a best-in-class security type. Users secure their data, enjoy peace of mind that they are generally safe, and experience fast internet. Enterprises will also benefit from business continuity.

From the foundation of a strong WiFi security type, individuals and businesses can exercise best practices that protect their data, connectivity, and productivity.

The post Comparing Wi-Fi Security Types: Which is Best and How to Change first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

This article explores the details of silent installation along with different methods to silently install Chrome.

1Understanding Silent Installation for Chrome

This section uncovers the details of what silent installation is and how it's beneficial for installing Chrome.

What is a Silent Install?

Silent installation, as the name suggests, is the idea of installing software without human input. To understand it better, consider a scenario where you want to install software named ABC. However, you don’t have to click through the series of ‘Next(s)’, ‘Accept(s)’, or specify the destination file location. When all these steps are handled automatically without any user input and the application installs silently in the background, this is known as a silent install.

Why Use Silent Installations for Chrome?

Chrome is one of the most significant applications utilized by almost every enterprise. Now to understand the importance of silent installation, let's consider a scenario. You are an IT manager assigned with the task of installing the latest version of Chrome on the systems of 50 employees. How does it sound to spend 10 minutes with each employee and go through the same series of steps to complete the installation? Dreadful, right? Additionally, it disturbs the work of employees and causes device downtime.

All this can be handled by silent installation triggered through servers, allowing the employees to continue their work without any issues, while the application installs in the background.

2Preparing for Chrome Silent Install

This section covers the details of preparing for the silent installation of Chrome.

Downloading the Necessary Setup Files

You can download the required file format, such as MSI or EXE along with the architecture selection, such as 32-bit or 64-bit. To do so, navigate to Chrome Enterprise and select the suitable options to begin the installation.

Chrome MSI vs. EXE: Which One to Choose?

The following table summarizes the differences between MSI and EXE files to help you choose the right one:

3Chrome Silent Install Commands

This section covers the commands for the silent installation of Chrome via three methods.

Using MSI for Chrome Silent Installation

The steps to silent install the chrome using MSI are as follows:

32-bit File

64-bit File

Using EXE for Chrome Silent Installation

The steps to silent install the chrome using EXE are as follows:

32-bit/64-bit File

Using Powershell for Chrome Silent Installation

The steps to silent install the chrome using Powershell are as follows:

4Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting

This section covers some of the significant tips and tricks to help solve problems faced during the silent installation of Chrome.

How do I Disable Google Chrome Silent Updates?

To do so, follow the steps below:

How to Uninstall Chrome Silently?

To uninstall Chrome silently, follow these steps:

How to Prevent Unauthorized Chrome Installations?

To prevent unauthorized Chrome installations across the devices of an organization, follow these steps:

How to Run Chrome Without Installing It?

You can use the portable version of Chrome which can be accessed via this link:

https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/google_chrome_portable

Bringing it all together, silent installation is a great method to perform application installation, while ensuring business continuity. Additionally, performing a silent installation, uninstallation, and update of Chrome stands highly beneficial and productive for businesses on many levels.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Chrome Silent Installations first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

A hotspot enables network access for needed devices anytime, anywhere. However, specific configurations are crucial for ensuring network safety and smooth operation.

In this article, we will discuss how to configure hotspots for Android,iPhone/iPad and Windows devices, ensuring internet availability and security.

1Configuration Options of Mobile Hotspot

Network Name (SSID)

The Service Set Identifier(SSID) is the hotspot name displayed on other devices. Like Wi-Fi networks, it will display in the scanned list in the Wi-Fi tab so other devices can seamlessly connect. Device honor can also easily change the name for better visibility and identification.

Password

It is a security key set by the device honor-sharing hotspot. It ensures that only authorized users can access the mobile data by adding the password as we usually do while connecting to a Wi-Fi network. It contains restrictions to set at least eight characters for passwords.

Maximum connections

It is an additional feature that helps users set a limit for the number of devices connecting to the hotspot simultaneously. It helps to control the data consumption on shared devices and ultimately reduces costs.

Security

The security option enables you to choose security protocols for your hotspot. Choosing WPA2 PSK allows you to set a strong password as it is a standard security protocol to secure and authenticate Wi-Fi networks.

Turn off the hotspot automatically

It allows setting a specific period to provide hotspots for other devices. After that particular time, the hotspot will automatically turn off, saving data.

2How to Configure Mobile Hotspot?

2.1How to Configure Hotspot on Android?

Different Android phones have different configuration steps. So, let’s discuss some widely used Android devices like Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, and Xiaomi.

📱Samsung

Choose ‘Settings’ app > Navigate to connections > Mobile hotspot and tethering > Click on it. Then you can configure hotspot here.

⚙️Configuration options in Samsung

Name, password, maximum connections, security, and advanced options, including band selection.

📱Google Pixel

Navigate to the Phone ‘Settings’ app > Select the ‘Network and Internet’ option from the menu > Choose ‘Hotspot and Tethering’ > Click on the ‘Wi-Fi hotspot’ to enter the configuration page.

⚙️Configuration options in Pixel

Name, password, security, turn of hotspot automatically, and number of connections allowed.

📱OnePlus

Open the Main Menu > Choose ‘Settings’ > Tap on ‘Wi-Fi and Networks’ > Hotspot & Tethering > Click on 'Wi-Fi hotspot' for configuration.

⚙️Configuration options in OnePlus

SSID, security, password, turn of hotspot automatically.

📱Xiaomi

Open Start Screen > Tap the ‘Settings’ app > Choose ‘Portable Hotspot’ and enable it > Choose ‘Set up Portable Hotspot’ to manage settings > Choose SSID and password, and press the Confirm button.

⚙️Configuration options in Xiaomi:

SSID, Password, Security, Device Identification, and Select AP Band.

2.2How to Configure Hotspot on iPhone/ iPad?

Open Settings app > Personal Hotspot > Here, you can open hotspot, set the hotspot passwords, and decide whether to turn on 'maximum compatibility'.

⚙️Configuration Options:

Hotspot name, Password, Maximize Compatibility.

2.3How to Configure Hotspot on Windows?

Type Settings in the Windows menu > Select the Settings app > Navigate to the ‘Network and Internet’ option > Choose Mobile Hotspot and enable it to share the internet connection.

⚙️Configuration options in Windows:

Network name, password, turn on remotely or not.

3How to Remote Turn On/Off Hotspot on Managed Android?

It is crucial in business environments to remotely manage hotspot policies(include turn on/off) for data protection and regulatory compliance, which can be done using a mobile device management solution.

Enable/Disable Network Sharing with MDM Solution

Setup results

Implementing hotspot settings with AirDroid Business ensures consistent configuration among all managed devices, providing uniformity and easy management.

Moreover, it also helps to improve security by using secure protocols that prevent unauthorized access to keep confidential data safe.

💡Recommended Network Settings

4How to Connect to a Personal Hotspot?

The connection principle for all devices, including Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, is almost identical.

A blue-colored status bar is displayed with a number showing the number of connected devices. Let's discuss it from the perspective of different connection mediums:

Wi-Fi

Open the device settings on the device sharing the internet. Find out personal hotspots or mobile data. Depending on the device's OS or model, it might be available in different folders.

Usually, you will find the option as a personal hotspot, mobile data, or portable data. Give the network a specific name for easy identification in the search list.

Unlock the device you need to connect with the hotspot and open the Wi-Fi tab from the settings app.

Click the Search / Scan button, or the device will automatically scan and provide the list of available internet connections.

Click on the hotspot name and add a specified password to enjoy browsing.

Bluetooth

Enable Bluetooth features on both devices, i.e., source and receiver devices. Open Bluetooth settings on the receiver device and search for available devices. Then select your hotspot device and match or confirm the pairing code on both devices. Once it's done, go to settings and select the paired device to use its internet.

USB

It is beneficial to share the internet with a single device but with high-speed internet. Turn on the personal hotspot on the device that will share the internet. Connect the device to another device using a USB cable. Enable USB tethering on the source device using the network settings option.

5Hotspot Status You Should Know

When a device connects to your hotspot

Generally, the status bar's color on the device changes when the personal hotspot is enabled on it. It turns blue on the iPhone. A notification or status is displayed continuously on the screen, showcasing that the hotspot is enabled.

On Android, a notification is displayed in the notification bar that continuously shows the number of devices connected to the hotspot. Navigate to Settings > Network and Internet > Hotspot and Tethering > Wi-Fi hotspot. There, you can view a list of connected devices.

The maximum number of devices for your Hotspot

It displays the number of devices connecting with personal hotspots to enjoy uninterrupted internet. The number of connected devices might vary with the device type and carrier. Some devices allow up to 10 devices to connect with a hotspot, while others only support a maximum of five. So, users need to check the exact limit to avoid any trouble.

Prevent Charge Extra

Distributing the internet through hotspots increases data consumption, thus affecting the rates of data purchased. Users can manage extra charges by considering the following factors:

Disconnect

The device displays a notification or change in the status bar whenever it turns off the mobile hotspot, whether it is automatically or manually turned off. Go to device Settings and open mobile hotspot to check its status. Here are the steps to manually turn off the hotspot on Android:

Open the Settings app > Navigate to Connections > Mobile hotspot and tethering > disable Mobile Hotspot.

6Conclusion

A hotspot is valuable as it helps users connect their device with mobile data anywhere. It is thus also called a portable hotspot.

Mobile hotspots also bring some security challenges, so it is crucial to understand how to configure hotspots with adequate settings.

Some configuration options supported by hotspots include SSID, password, security, maximum connections, and turning off the hotspot automatically.

These settings help to ensure optimized data consumption and costs and additional protection for network and data. Its configuration is simple for individual users, while enterprises need an efficient system to handle hotspot access on official devices for uniformity and equal settings.

Enterprises can use MDM solutions like AirDroid Business to remotely manage and control hotspot access and policy management for network access.

The post How to Configure Hotspot on Android/iOS/Windows? first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

Q: What Are GPOs in Windows?

Group Policy Object (GPO) is a set of commands & task execution templates implemented on bulk devices to ensure uniformity and consistency in a work environment.

Microsoft has facilitated business administrators with Group Policy to manage and enforce security configurations for many official devices. It provides firm control over applications, OS, and network settings for managed devices to provide a restricted and controlled working environment.

Group Policy Object (GPO) is accessed through the Microsoft Management Console Group Policy Editor.

1Usages - What Are GPOs Used for?

Enforce Security and Behavior Settings

GPO enables administrators to enforce consistent security settings and behavior within Windows server environments. 

For example, in an organizational unit of employees in a company's finance department, a group policy can be applied to re-authenticate after a screensaver activates. It will ensure that the computers that are not being used are locked and only accessed by authorized personnel. 

Through these policies, the risk of security breaches can be decreased. It also makes the process of updating or modifying policies easy through the approach of centralized management.

Deploy Internal Wireless Network Profile

A Group Policy can be deployed for seamless and secure Wi-Fi connectivity across all company devices.

This method automates the configuration settings for the wireless network, reducing the need for manual setup and ensuring that all devices have consistent and secure access to the corporate network. 

WSUS/Update Settings

Using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to manage Windows updates lets administrators control the deployment of updates, ensuring that all systems are secure with the latest fixes.

It also reduces the risk of interruptions from automatic updates by enabling testing and scheduled deployments.

Firewall Policies

GPOs help manage and enforce firewall policies in a business environment. Firewall policies regulate incoming and outgoing traffic with a set of predefined rules and play an important role in safeguarding the security of the network.

These rules determine how the traffic will flow by allowing or denying connections, ensuring that the system is protected from unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious attacks.

Managing access and restrictions

GPOs allow administrators to prevent end-users from accessing system settings, which can lead to high-security risks.

The command prompt allows running various commands that can lead to changes in system settings and access to restricted files.

Using GPOS, admins can prevent access to the command prompt and control panel to ensure end-users cannot make changes in the system without the admin’s permission.

2Compare Different Types of GPOs

After profoundly understanding what are GPOs, let’s discuss their types:

3Computer Configuration vs. User Configuration

In Windows, group policy objects (GPOs) are classified into two main categories: computer configuration and user configuration.

These categories allow administrators to customize settings according to their system—or user-level requirements. You can also check the device to see what GPOs are applied.

4Pros and Cons of Group Policy Objects

5How to Create/Edit/Delete GPOs(with Example)

Managing Group Policy Objects is essential for IT administrators. Follow these steps to create, edit, and delete them efficiently.

6How to See What GPOs Are Applied?

Using the Group Policy Management Console, you can access the ‘Group Policy Results’ feature and check out what GPOs are applied to the computer or the user. Another way is to check through the command prompt. Here are the detailed steps:

7What Is the Relationship Between Active Directory (AD) and GPOs?

Active Directory and GPO are active components of the Microsoft Server environment, collaborating to develop an effective and secure working environment.

An active directory is a database that stores information about various network resources, including user data and computers.

It offers a centralized platform to manage network security for all devices in a specific domain. The primary functions of AD include authentication and authorization of devices that try to enter the network. 

AD has another concept known as Group Policy Objects (GPOs), which serve as ways of achieving certain goals and policies regarding these resources, including security settings, program installation, and even desktop settings. GPOs are contained in AD and can be linked to multiple sites, domains, and OUs.

8Conclusion

Let’s have a short conclusion about what are GPOs. Group Policy Object (GPO) is a feature in Active Directory that enables enterprises to manage and secure networks to ensure compliance with regulations and a smooth working environment.

They help administrators enforce security policies for access management, password setting, and software installation on official devices.

GPOs have three common types: local GPOs, non-local GPOs, and starter GPOs. Users can choose any of them based on their specific needs and scope.

GPOs provide significant user benefits, including centralized management, enhanced security, and access controls.

Admins can easily edit, create, or delete GPOs using the Group Policy Management Console and try various tools to check which GPOs are implemented on their devices.

The post [2024 Updated] What Are GPOs in Windows? first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

With the increased usage of wireless networks by individuals and businesses, security risks are also increasing.

It is also one of the significant reasons that the Wi-Fi alliance felt the need to shift to the latest technology from WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) to WAP2.

WAP2 is an upgraded form of WAP that contains more advanced features, authentications, encryption protocols, and certifications like CCMP to support Wi-Fi network security.

In this article, we will discuss WPA2 Enterprise vs Personal to better understand their features and applications.

1WPA2 Enterprise vs. WPA2 Personal

2Expand on That:

WPA2 enterprise is stronger than WPA personal because it provides strong authentication methods, processes, and protocols for enterprises to streamline security parameters. 

2.1Security Mechanisms

EAP-TTLS/PAP 

Credential-based EAP-TTLS/PAP was designed to simplify setup by requiring only the server to be authorized, with optional user authentication. TTLS offers several authentication options and establishes a "tunnel" between the client and the server.

TTLS, however, has many flaws. Inexperienced network users may find the configuration process challenging, and one incorrectly configured device could cause a large loss for the company. Moreover, it possesses no credential encryption and has the comparatively slowest authentication speed. It uses passwords for authentication, leaving space for compromise on security.

PEAP-MSCHAPv2

PEAP-MSCHAPv2 is a credential-based protocol designed for Microsoft or Active Directory environments. It doesn't require server certificate validation. The authentication speed is slow and contains 22 steps. Like EAP-TTLS/PAP, it also supports password authentication.

EAP-TLS

EAP-TLS is a certificate-based protocol that removes the possibility of over-the-air credential theft, which is why it is regarded as one of the most secure EAP standards. It has the highest level of encryption, as it possesses public-private key cryptography, with a fast authentication speed of only 12 steps. Additionally, because password-change policies do not cause password-related disconnections, this protocol offers the optimum user experience. 

The misperception that certificate-based authentication is hard to set up or maintain has been proven wrong. Now, most people believe that EAP-TLS is actually simpler to set up and maintain than the other protocols.

2.2Configuration and Management

Many enterprises with managed devices lack an integrated method of arranging the devices for certificate-driven security.

Enabling users to self-configure often leads to misconfigured devices, and assigning all the tasks to IT can be challenging.

Configuring many devices to have a secure WPA2-Enterprise network takes much work as it is comparatively complex to set up and manage, but it's worth it. 

2.3Encryption

Compared to WPA Personal, Enterprise is more secure. Each client gets a unique encryption key automatically after logging on to the network, and this key is updated automatically. Here, the benefit is in the user's authentication, not in the stronger encryption. 

2.4Cost

WPA2-Enterprise involves a RADIUS server, which may also need additional resources, leading to extra costs.

Using WPA2-Enterprise for your business is beneficial as it gives users access control. WPA-Enterprise is also perfect for home usage but requires careful consideration of various aspects like expert management, software, hardware, and regular maintenance.

You can use WPA2-Enterpise at home if you run an online business from home and access confidential data or financial records regularly.

3Challenges of WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) May Face

WPA2-Personal

WPA2-personal only contains a single password for different device authentications, so the probability of password leakage is higher than usual.

A single-shared key is easy to share with multiple network users, leading to data breaches by unauthorized access. For example, an employee with a password who left the company can breach privacy if the password is not changed.

It requires continuous key updates to ensure data security. WPA2-PSK allows setting a password of 63 characters. Setting a weak password is easy to find out through brute-force attacks.

Management of the shared key is complex for a large number of devices on the Wi-Fi network. It is only helpful for a few trusted users on the network.

Gaining unauthorized access to the network can result in downtime for days, weeks, or months. So, it is crucial to manage the key distribution to only trusted users.

WPA2-Enterprise

Unlike WPA2-PSK, WPA2-Enterprise is more secure but also difficult and complex to set up, as it requires a RADIUS server and certifications, which can be time-consuming.

It relies on the RADIUS server, so it is crucial to use redundant RADIUS servers, which can ensure continuity of work with high security.

It is crucial to ensure that only authorized users can access the network by incorporating strong authentication policies.

4How to Check Your Network's Wi-Fi Security Type

Here are the steps to check out the network Wi-Fi security protocol on Windows devices:

5Should You Use WPA2 Personal or Enterprise?

Choosing the right protocol based on your needs is crucial to ensure the highest security and functionality of your Wi-Fi network.

Size of the Organization

WPA2-Personal will be adequate for basic home networks or small businesses with a limited number of employees. Further, it uses only one pre-shared key for all users, which can be easier to handle on a few devices.

Conversely, WPA2-Enterprise is suitable for organizations with a large number of employees. It enables single-user accounts and provides better control over network utilization. WP2 Enterprise provides additional measures to ensure high security.

Security Requirements

The first thing that should be pointed out is that if your network deals with sensitive data, including financial records, personal details, and business credentials, you are highly recommended to use WPA2-Enterprise because it has 802.1x authentication.

It is improved with cypher block chaining message authentication code protocol and other parameters like Advanced Encryption Standards.

Scalability

WPA2 Enterprise is scalable and adjustable with increasing business size. If you have planned to grow your business to a greater level, then WPA2 Enterprise is preferable. For a static and small business where the chances of growth are low,

User Management

WPA2 Personal only requires a single password for multiple devices, making it easier to manage. Conversely, WPA2 Enterprise allows individual user authentications, making the system complex but more secure and suitable for large business environments.

So, it totally depends on the extent of usage and the business level that which protocol is more favorable.

6Common Types of Attacks Associated with PSKs

This personal edition uses PSK security protocols which are different from WPA2 Enterprise protocols. However,WAP2-PSK is a comparatively weaker security protocol, exposing it to numerous vulnerabilities. Here is the list of some common vulnerabilities users face while using PSK protocols:

Content Addressable Memory (CAM) Table Overflows

Content addressable memory is an overflow attack used by hackers to create multiple fake MAC addresses. It helps them overload the switch's CAM table, where MAC addresses are stored. The overloaded table cannot identify new MAC addresses and starts sending data to all ports, like a hub. It makes it easy for the attacker to capture data and perform man-in-the-middle attacks.

Media Access Control (MAC) Spoofing

MAC spoofing involves altering the device's MAC address and making it emulate the other MAC address on the same network. Since MAC addresses can be changed easily, hackers can invade privacy and integrity or create fake access points to intercept users' identifiers. Certification and control of ports, firewalls, and more enhanced authorization methods like MFA and digital certificates are required to avoid this dreadful situation.

Switch Spoofing

In a Switch Spoofing Attack, the attackers change their device to mimic the switch to other nodes. The device connects itself to the trunk of the network switch so that it can interpose and control the network communications. To avoid this, the organization should complete trunking on all the extra ports while ensuring that the Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) is turned off for all trunk ports.

Double Tagging

STP, a VLAN-hailing attack, transfers data to a different VLAN. The hacker inserts the VLAN ID of the VLAN they wish to belong to and the VLAN ID of the VLAN they intend to attack. The switch deletes the first tag before forwarding the frame with the second tag to the victim's VLAN. This attack is more or less a one-time process and is only possible if the hacker's device shares the primitive VLAN with the switch. It is recommended to avoid VLANs configured on trunk ports to overcome this problem.

The post WPA2 Enterprise vs. Personal: What Are the Differences first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

Intune is a sophisticated tool used by professionals to set devices into kiosk mode or, sometimes, also called dedicated devices. These devices are managed and restricted to serve single or specific purposes only.

Enterprises use Intune kiosk mode to incorporate Windows, Android, and iOS devices as kiosks for smooth customer interactions and streamlined business operations. Let’s see how we can configure Microsoft Intune to manage different OS devices.

1Overview: Kiosk Mode of Microsoft Intune

Microsoft Intune is a Mobile Device Management solution for handling official devices and allows to configure them into kiosks remotely. It needs to run from the administrator profile to manage settings on connected devices.

1.1Supported OS and Functions

Windows: Microsoft Intune supports specific versions of Windows, including Windows 10 and 11 and Holographic for Business.

✔️Currently, Intune supports only single-app kiosk mode for Windows 11.

Android: Intune Android kiosk mode allows the creation of kiosk profiles for Android device administrator devices and Android Enterprise. It usually provides kiosk mode for Android 8.0 or later Versions.

✔️Android Enterprise and Knox devices support both single and multi-app kiosk modes.

iOS/iPad: Apple iOS/iPad 15.0 or later Versions. Mac 12.0 or later Versions.

✔️The supervised iOS devices only support single-app kiosk mode. 

Linux: Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 LTS and 20.04 LTS with a GNOME graphical desktop environment.

1.2Using Requirements

Before initiating the Intune kiosk mode, you need to verify whether your device is compatible with Microsoft Intune. If it is, then sign in to Intune as an administrator to enroll and manage your official devices and set them into kiosk mode.

2Intune Kiosk Mode for Windows 10/11

Intune kiosk mode Windows 10 allows single and multi-app mode, while it for Windows 11 only allows single-app mode. To set up multi-app kiosk mode on Windows 11, the user requires an MDM WMI Bridge Provider.

Single-app kiosk mode for Windows 10 and 11

Multi-app kiosk mode for Windows 10

1. Step 1: Select the kiosk type from the Intune admin console as multi-app kiosk mode. 
2. Step 2: Choose yes or no to target Windows 10 in S mode devices. Choosing ‘Yes’ will allow store and AUMID apps in the kiosk profile, while choosing ‘No’ will allow store apps, Win32, and AUMID apps.
3. Step 3: Now choose the logon type from the following options which can run your apps:
   Auto logon, local user account, Microsoft Intra user or group, HoloLens visitor.
4. Step 4: Manage configuration settings by selecting multi-app kiosk mode and adding apps in the given field. Customize browser and application settings as you would for single-app kiosk mode.
5. Step 5: Here, you are given some optional settings, such as auto-launch, tile size, Windows taskbar customization, maintenance for app restarts, and an alternative start layout, which help you manage kiosk mode more effectively.

3Intune Kiosk Mode for Android

The significant functions allowed by Intune for Android device management include:

Android managed through Intune should have 8.0 or later Versions with Google Play.

Let’s see the setup process for Android Enterprise Devices:

4Intune Kiosk Mode for iOS Devices

Microsoft Intune only allows single-app kiosk mode for iOS devices, while it does not support multi-app kiosk mode. Single-app kiosk mode will enable admins to run only one application on managed iOS devices. Here are the detailed steps for setting up the kiosk:

5How to Exit Intune Kiosk Mode?

6Conclusion

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based MDM (Mobile Device Management) and MAM (Mobile Application Management) service that helps enterprises manage applications and devices from a centralized position.

To manage bulk devices, professionals need to access Intune Dashboard as an administrator. It facilitates admins from device enrollment to management, security, patch, and compliance management and develops dedicated devices. Microsoft Intune supports the latest Android, iOS, and Windows versions with specific use requirements.

Some OS have limited kiosk integrations, and Windows 11 does not currently support multi-app kiosk mode. The steps and functions for different OS might vary on Microsoft Intune.

The post Intune Kiosk Mode Setup Guide for Windows, Android, and iOS first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

Digital signage software is a powerful tool for managing communication and data sharing on various smart devices, including TVs, videowalls, tablets, and other digital screens.

Windows digital signage has become an effective medium for marketers to promote products and services, ensuring high brand visibility because it ensures 24 hours availability to display information any time and also provides remote content management.

1Build Windows Digital Signage Using Software

Businesses prefer Windows devices because most people are familiar with their interface, and it is also one of the most stable OSs that can ensure continuous display on digital boards.

Using a software is the easiest and most cost-effective way to turn your smart Windows devices into interactive digital signage.

Digital signage consists of three basic components including software which interlinks with hardware and content to create fully interactive signage.

Numerous software programs are available with different features and pricing, so businesses can choose accordingly.

Windows Digital Signage Software Recommended

Xibo (Industries: Religious Institutions, Retail)

Xibo is an open-source software solution for designing and managing digital signage. It provides extensive support for digital signage by scaling adapting according to changing business requirements.

It offers comprehensive options like cloud hosting, web CMS, and layout editor to manage and limit device usage and permissions for access.

Xibo organizes the displays into logical sets to manage campaigns. It allows easy integration with other software and tools and has AGPLv3 certified license.

It helps to improve internal communication, customer experience and reduces costs for traditional printing.

Yodeck

Yodeck is an cloud digital signage solution for Windows. Its significant features include:

1. API (Application programming Interface)

2. Activity dashboard

3. Alerts and notifications

4. Auto-update (Facilitate users to automatically update software and apps)

5. Audit trail (It show patterns of user behavior and system interactions)

6. Access controls or permissions (Managing user access to device functions and data)

Yodeck software is simple and intuitive software to develop a digital signage for Windows in a few minutes. The cloud-based Yodeck platform allows users to upload all media types and make changes to the content. Yodeck enables displaying images, videos, YouTube videos, live streaming videos, presentations, social media, news, weather updates, and PDF flyers.

NoviSign

It is a cloud-based digital signage software that facilitates businesses in creating and managing content on kiosk devices and improving sales and marketing campaigns.

NoviSign allows designing of social walls and slide shows to target an audience. Its significant features include:

1. Device management

2. Data synchronization

3. Remote control

4. Media library

5. Creative Templates

6. It easily integrates with third-party apps like YouTube, Facebook, and Ustreem but its prices are comparatively higher. It costs a minimum of $20 per month.

2MDM Digital Signage

The kiosk mode of MDM solution helps businesses turn smart devices into digital signage, helping to boost sales and customer engagement.

AirDroid Business MDM offers remote lockdown of devices to prevent unauthorized access. It also enforces device usage restrictions, allowing businesses to lockdown the screen for specific apps, websites, or web applications.

Remote monitoring and management also help improve productivity and ensure continuous display with minimum downtime. 

3SoC Displays vs. External Media Players

The SoC (System on chip) is one of the primary components of digital signage, working as a medium to develop a connection between the software and the screen.

When initiating digital signage, managers have two options to choose from: the SoC or an external media player. You can choose either one depending on which is most appropriate for your scenario.

Difference between SoC and External Media Player

SoC digital signage contains an integrated processor chip with built-in software for digital signage. SoC allows you to manage content on the screen without the attachment of any external device. 

An external media player is a computer-like device that fetches the software's content and forwards it to the screen for display. It is a small box in black color which can be hidden behind the screen and needs to plug into the socket. After connecting to the internet, it will display the content on the screen in a few seconds.

4How Different Industries Use Digital Signage

Digital Menu Boards

Digital menu boards are the norm in the food and beverage business, with restaurants, coffee shops, and fast-food outlets. 

These tools facilitate interactive content presentation for companies and enable them to update their menus, prices, or promotions regularly.

Digital menu boards increase customer involvement, allowing them to place instant orders and enabling targeted marketing of extra restaurant products or promotion of offers. Thus, they result in an increased number of visitors and restaurant income.

Hospitality

Digital signage in the hospitality sector is used in several ways to improve customer retention and provide a better guest experience by automating routine processes. 

Digital signage in hotels with a large covered area helps with wayfinding. It also facilitates displaying promotional materials and guest information and providing them with easily accessible information and services.

Healthcare

Digital signage plays a significant role in the healthcare industry by enabling patients, visitors, and staff members to access critical information, find directions, and benefit from health education materials. 

Hospitals leverage digital signage to facilitate patient check-in, broadcast services, appointment reminders, doctor bios, and queue management, which are effective in decreasing waiting time and operating efficiency. Furthermore, digital signage in waiting areas can entertain and educate patients.

Schools

Digital signage Windows in education promotes interaction, stimulates student engagement, and develops a dynamic learning environment. In school practice, digital signage is used for announcements, promoting events, and displaying critical information parameters like timetables, campus maps, and safety procedures.

An interactive digital display provides a setting for collaborative learning and multimedia presentations. It also helps display emergency notifications so students and other staff can handle the situation better.

Commercial

Places like retail stores, banks, and corporate offices are considered commercial. Digital signage is like an effective marketing and communication tool. It serves retailers for displaying product promotions and branding with the help of interactive displays and digital catalogs.

In corporate offices, digital signage is employed for internal communications, employee engagement initiatives with the display of corporate news and announcements, and employees' performance.

5The Importance of Digital Signage for Your Business

Less space consumption and multi-purpose utilization

A single digital signage can serve multiple purposes; hence, the need for many displays is eliminated. Companies can manage various operations in lesser space, like employee training, conducting meetings, displaying promotions, and sales. Digital signage also facilitates running your presentation everywhere to increase visibility.

Instant content-changing abilities

You can change the content hundreds of times a day depending on your business needs. It requires no additional space or costs, unlike traditional methods.

Versatile content types supported

You can display animation, images, videos, slideshows, text, TV, live news, and important announcements on digital signage.

Customer retention and engagement

Users are provided with an interactive interface to communicate and obtain information. This helps improve customer retention by saving time and engaging them with interesting content.

Improved productivity

Businesses add interactive images, videos, color schemes, and backgrounds to attract viewers. Customers prefer watching information on the screen to collecting information from humans. This helps businesses entertain more customers in less time, and the staff is utilized for other necessary purposes.

Consistency

Businesses with multiple franchises can manage the content on digital signage placed in various offices using cloud-based software. It helps to display similar content at multiple locations, being controlled from a central location. The roadside digital signage consistently shows the same content on various screens. 

6Businesses Typically Consider These Key Factors

Businesses typically consider several things while selecting a digital signage solution to ensure that it meets their specific needs and increases revenue. Let's discuss some important ones here:

Cost

The budget and investment criteria vary from business to business. However, every business primarily considers the costs of choosing digital signage solutions. Selecting a cost-effective tool means the most appropriate tool with reasonable features and support at cheaper costs.

Security

Digital signage solutions must contain adequate security to protect the confidentiality of official and customer data stored in the devices. Data needs to be encrypted so it remains unread even when breached by malicious entities. Digital signage solutions also require strong authentication to avoid device misuse.

Remote Control and Management

Large businesses involve a large amount of digital signage located at multiple positions in different areas. Remote management and control help reduce downtime, ensure efficient content management, and ensure 24/7 visibility.

Flexibility

Digital signage solutions should be flexible enough to customize with business-specific needs. It also helps businesses to ensure high productivity and compliance.

7Summary

In the fast-paced and digitalized corporate world, considering traditional posters and banners for advertisement and marketing will be a severe setback for any business. Banks, corporate offices, healthcare centers, educational institutes, and retail shops increasingly add digital signage to attain multiple tasks from a single screen.

Digital signage contains three primary components: software, SoC or external media, and screen content. SoC or external media acts as a medium and takes content from the software to display on the screen. Implementing MDM digital signage for large businesses is more appropriate for versatile and effective management as they offer remote management and control features compared to simple digital signage software.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Digital Signage Software for Windows first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

The mobile workforce has become a black box: Organizations do not know what these employees do on their company-issued devices.

Part of remote network management, remote network monitoring is the practice of tracking bandwidth usage, device status, location, and other attributes.

With an MDM like AirDroid Business, IT teams can practice remote network monitoring(like monitoring the data usage) and take necessary action, such as remotely troubleshooting a device or even triggering a factory reset if a device is lost or stolen.

1Who is a remote network monitoring ideal for

There are two broad categories of organizations where remote network monitoring is necessary.

Remote and hybrid organizations

Any organization that enables employees to work from home must practice remote network monitoring. Even if their employees only work remotely one day a week, there are still substantial risks.

Employees may shirk their core responsibilities by surfing the net, chatting on social media, or streaming video. They may inadvertently expose the company to a cybersecurity threat, such as visiting a malicious website or losing their device.

This threat only increases the more days that employees are out of the office: They have more time to do non-work tasks on their company-issued devices or enable a security breach.

Fully remote companies, thus, have the most imperative to conduct remote network monitoring. This mandate extends to companies with extensive field-based operations, such as logistics companies.

Organizations with public touchpoints

There are many brands with static hardware. For example, an advertising network may have a device ecosystem of digital billboards and kiosks they lease out to advertisers, or a fintech may have point-of-sale devices to facilitate transactions.

These devices are not associated with employees on a one-to-one basis like company-issued devices are. Nonetheless, customer-facing touchpoints present their own set of risks. They may glitch. They may freeze. They may go offline. No matter the problem, the company cannot serve its customers if the devices cannot perform as intended.

As a result, remote network monitoring is crucial for these companies: It will allow them to track the status of their devices and, in turn, maximize their uptime and customer support.

2How remote network monitoring reimagines device management

Most organizations need to get technology for their device management. These companies currently rely on manual processes that are subject to numerous issues. Remote network monitoring represents a significant evolution from these workflows.

The status quo in device management

For companies that still do not practice remote network monitoring, there are three common approaches to device management.

Why remote network monitoring is better for hardware

With remote network monitoring, organizations do not rely on field-based employees traveling from site to site or colleagues or customers to report issues. From the comfort of the office, an IT professional can monitor the status of devices through remote access, which saves precious time and money. They also have the same level of insight as a person standing next to the errant device would have. This approach multiplies an organization's reach: Instead of one-to-one device management, it is now one-to-many.

Upon detecting a problem, such as a glitch, the IT professional does not need to deploy a colleague to go on-site and fix it. Instead, they can assume control of the device, even if it is unattended. While this capability is technically a part of remote network management, it is essential for any solution in remote network monitoring. Now, IT professionals can correct device issues almost as soon as they arise.

How MDM Can Help in Remote Network Monitoring?

Device Connectivity History:Admins can view the managed device's network duration history and signal strength within 7 days and export reports.

Data Usage Report: Admins can view data usage trends for company devices, including Wi-Fi and cellular data, top 10 data-consuming apps, and data usage status.

Aletrs & Workflows: Admins can create an alert for daily or monthly cellular data usage and trigger workflows, such as switching to kiosk mode where only specific applications are allowed to be used.

Remote Ccontrol & Configurations: Admins can perform actions like remote network troubleshooting from a console, network configurations, Wi-Fi, network sharing (Hotspot, Bluetooth, VPN) can also be configured.

3Improves the management of remote and hybrid workers

When organizations shifted from on-site work to remote and hybrid configurations, they adopted new technologies.

Most solutions, however, were centered around communication, such as using Zoom for meetings or Slack for chatting. There was little thought on how the organization would monitor company-issued devices, leaving them stuck with outdated management practices.

The status quo in management

Companies that have rapidly shifted to remote or hybrid setups rely on old-school management practices. They use heuristics that only approximate their actual workload to gauge an employee's productivity.

For example, employees may attend meetings and submit their deliverables, but these are only signs.

The always-punctual employee may be binge-watching Netflix in between meetings. The employee may complete their deliverables in a rush so they can focus on surfing the net or even moonlighting for a second job or side hustle.

Relying on attendance, deliverables, and other heuristics for productivity is inaccurate: It does not give companies the complete picture of how an employee performs.

The worst part is that these heuristics do not allow for escalating steps. When employees arrive late, miss meetings, or fail to turn in their deliverables, companies must put them on a performance improvement plan (PIP) or even dismiss them.

A more nuanced approach to managing remote employees

Because remote networking monitoring gives companies insight into how devices are used, they can also learn how they are misused.

Others found culpable can be appropriately reprimanded with escalating punishments.

The first notice may be a warning that company-issued devices are for work purposes only. Subsequent notices may include everything from issuance of a PIP to suspension or even termination.

While dismissal remains a possibility for stubborn employees, remote network

monitoring enables organizations to take a more measured approach to correct problems long before they spiral out of control.

4Remote network monitoring can also help with lost or stolen devices

Remote and hybrid employees may also get careless. They may leave a company-issued device on a coffee shop table, where it can get stolen. They may misplace their device while on a work trip.

Companies not practicing remote network monitoring are out of luck when devices are lost or stolen. Even if the device is password protected, hackers could use a brute force attack to access the phone and its contents. The hacker may gain access to the organization's sensitive data.

Early intervention for lost or stolen devices

Once an employee reports a device as lost or stolen, the IT professional can track the device using the GPS function of the MDM. This feature is helpful. The IT professional may discover that the device is in a corner of the person's home, indicating that it was only misplaced.

If the device is in unfamiliar territory, the IT professional can take a photo of the person using it. This photo may be of the person who stole the device or purchased it from the person who did. Furthermore, the IT professional can lock down the device and activate password protection to ensure that the stranger does not gain access to the phone's content.

Last resort for lost or stolen devices

Even if the GPS function can track the stolen device, it may not always be recoverable. For example, the perpetrator may have flown overseas. In this case, the company may not find it worthwhile to attempt to track the phone or capture the perpetrator across borders.

The best option, in this case, is remote wipe or enable lost mode. Remote wipe restores the device to its factory settings, eliminating any sensitive data it may contain. Companies should only conduct a remote wipe for cases when the chances of retrieval are slim or not worth the effort.

>The future of remote monitoring in network management

Remote network monitoring is an absolute must for two types of organizations. The first is an organization with an ecosystem of customer-facing touchpoints, such as kiosks.

The traditional way of tracking these devices, such as field management, self-reporting, or even blind luck, creates too long of a lapse. Users will be unable to access errant devices, souring the customer experience.

By practicing remote network monitoring with an MDM, these organizations can monitor devices in real-time on a one-to-many basis. This ability gives IT professionals the bandwidth to access a glitching device and correct the issue remotely, even if it is unattended.

The second type of organization is those with hybrid or remote workforces. Employees may be prone to engage in non-work activities or moonlight for other companies in this work setup. Companies traditionally rely on heuristics like meeting attendance or work deliverables to approximate productivity, but these measures give only some of the picture.

A better way to manage remote and hybrid employees is with remote monitoring. Organizations can track bandwidth use on a per-device or app basis and set up automatic alerts based on specific data thresholds.

With these features, organizations can make more informed decisions about their employees, beginning by disregarding incidents of intensive data use that may be legitimate. Organizations can take employees who are guilty of abusing their devices through escalating punishments, so there are multiple opportunities to correct the behavior.

This granularity also applies to cases where an employee may get careless and lose their device or get it stolen. The company can track the missing device with GPS, take a photo of the person in its possession, and, as a last resort, wipe the device back to its original factory settings.

With a robust practice of remote monitoring in network management, businesses gain unprecedented insight into their mobile workforce so that they can be provided with the support needed for success.

The post Why Businesses Need to Implement Remote Network Monitoring? first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

Disabling incognito mode, also known as private browsing mode, can be handy for individuals and business entities.

Incognito mode provides users with a safe and private browsing experience, which can be challenging in sensitive conditions.

For example, children using incognito mode to hide online activities from parents can lead to worse outcomes. Similarly, hiding online activities from employers in an office can result in high-security threats and other challenges like reduced productivity because they can’t track device usage or history to see what employees are doing.

This article will discuss different ways to disable incognito mode on multiple OS devices.

Part 1. Disable Incognito Mode on Windows PC

1.1How to disable incognito mode in Chrome

1.2Edge Browser

To disable incognito mode on the Microsoft Edge browser, follow the guidelines below. This method is similar to the above method but differs in commands.

1.3Firefox Browser

In Firefox, the incognito mode is called the private mode. So, follow the below steps to disable private mode on the Firefox browser on your Windows PC:

Part 2. Disable Incognito Mode on Android

For how to disable incognito mode on Android, unlike Windows or Mac PCs, there is no built-in feature available on Android to do this.

2.1Single Android Device

You can only use a parental control app to indirectly disable Incognito Mode on a single Android device.

Select the parental control application with a website filtering function, and set website access restrictions on the target device.

By setting restrictions on the types of sites that can be visited, you can indirectly disable Incognito Mode, as it will not allow the user to bypass the filters you've set up.

2.2Android Fleets(Business)

Every enterprise hopes that employees can concentrate on their work. Sometimes, Incognito mode provides employees with a hidden way to bypass employer monitoring and keep browsing history hidden.

However, it is crucial for enterprises to disable incognito mode to ensure employees' online activities are transparent. So, enterprises with large-scale Android devices need to know how to disable incognito mode on Android smartly.

One handy method for disabling incognito mode is implement MDM solution, which allows organization to manage device limitations. Employees can only activate it with the permission of IT administrators.

AirDroid Business is a powerful MDM solution that helps enterprises configure settings collectively on all corporate devices to ensure compliance.

When deploying apps from the Play Store to managed devices, IT administrators can configure application settings, such as disabling incognito mode in web browser apps, and apply these configurations to all or selected devices as needed.

Part 3. Disable Incognito Mode on Mac

1. Chrome

2. Firefox

To disable privacy private browsing for Firefox on Mac, you first need to enable enterprise policies from the terminal app.

3. Can You Disable Safari's Private Browsing Feature(Mac & iPhone)

Set Web content restrictions on Mac

Set Web content restrictions on iPhone.

Part 4. Disable vs. Turn Off

Turning off incognito mode is quite different from disabling it. You can turn off the incognito mode from the browser’s settings menu, which only applies to that specific web browser.

Users can easily use incognito mode by installing other web browsers or third-party apps, so turning it off is ineffective in preventing it.

Conversely, disabling incognito mode is more effective and valuable, especially for large enterprises where physical device monitoring is impossible. All the above-discussed methods effectively turn it off on multiple OS devices.

Conclusion

Incognito mode is a widely adapted browsing mode that facilitates users to keep their online activities confidential. It is usually helpful at places like internet café and other public places where multiple users use a single device, keeping their email and other confidential logins private.

However, it also has drawbacks that can have severe impacts on businesses. Employees might be using incognito mode to use official devices for non-work-related activities, which keeps them distracted from work and increases the security risks if they access malicious websites.

To efficiently disable incognito mode on multiple devices simultaneously, AirDroid Business MDM is a better choice.

The post How to Disable Incognito Mode in Popular Browsers? first appeared on www.airdroid.com.

In this complicated digital world where businesses primarily use devices like desktops, smartphones, tablets and laptops as gateways to communications and information, It is highly important to keep managing these devices. Managing devices is not an easy task, and that is where Modern Device Management dives in.

This article is clear and descriptive information about Modern Device Management, why it is so crucial for businesses, and how it makes complicated processes easier by streamlining the management of devices.

1Understanding of Modern Device Management

1What is Modern Device Management?

Modern Device Management in easy definition is a powerful technology that empowers the organization to remotely manage the device associated with it. It also allows configuring and securing the overall device ecosystem. It goes beyond the traditional device management encompasses a wider range of devices and provides control capabilities comprehensively.

The Functionalities offered by Modern Device Management

If we talk about the functionalities offered by Modern Device Management then they are mentioned below:

The Importance of Having a Modern Device Management Solution

If we talk about the importance of having a Modern Device Management solution, as we previously discussed, at this point in time, organizations primarily are dependent on these devices and managing such devices is highly complex.

In the case of Modern Device Management, it ensures that the organization's data is secured, there is a high level of productivity among employees, facilitates the company to work on industry regulations and compliance, saves cost and lastly, allows better management.

2What is a Modern Managed Device?

In simple words, A modern managed device is any electronic device which is enrolled in a Modern Device Management solution or system, allowing and giving access to the IT administrators or staff members to remotely control, secure, and configure it.

Below are some of the examples of modern managed devices.

• Laptops: Business laptops used by employees are an example of Modern Device Management, allowing IT to enforce security policies, deploy software updates, and remotely wipe data if needed.
• Desktops: Modern desktop PCs can also benefit from Modern Device Management for centralized management of security settings, application installations, and asset tracking.
• Smartphones and Tablets: These are the core use cases for Modern Device Management, ensuring consistent security policies and data protection across employee mobile devices.

3What are the dfifferent models making up modern device management?

There are multiple models that make up modern device management, etc. They are listed below:

3What are the dfifferent models making up modern device management?

Management of devices has always been important, but the tools and approaches over the years have evolved hugely. Let's understand the key differences between modern and traditional device management:

2Why Modern Device Management?

There are many advantages of Modern Device Management in businesses:

• Better Security: Modern Device Management provides better encryption and strong passwords from laptops to wearables, safeguarding sensitive business data in healthcare, finance, and beyond.
• More Efficient Management: Updating, configuring and deploying applications for all devices from a single platform, boosting efficiency in education, retail, and manufacturing.
• Improved Compliance: Modern Device Management helps meet industry regulations by enforcing data access controls on devices used for financial transactions (finance) or accessing patient data (healthcare).
• Increased Productivity: Automated updates and app deployment ensure all devices have the latest tools and security fixes, keeping employees productive across different sectors.
• Reduced Costs: Automating tasks and minimizing support tickets frees up IT resources, leading to cost savings in all business environments.

Modern Device Management offers a centralized, secure, and efficient way to manage devices, empowering businesses to focus on their core operations.

3How to Move to Modern Management for Windows Device by Using Microsoft Tools

Moving from traditional on-premise management to a modern, cloud-based approach can significantly improve your organization's device management efficiency. But there are a few steps that you need to follow in moving to Modern Management for Windows devices using Microsoft tools:

4How to Apply Modern Device Management in Windows 11, Windows 10, And Windows 7

There are a bunch of steps to follow in order to apply Modern Device Management in Windows environments:

1Windows 11 & 10

Use Cloud: Utilize Microsoft Intune, the central hub within Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEM) for the management of devices in the cloud. Intune offers functionalities for enrollment, configuration, security, and application deployment.

Centralized Identity: Use Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) as your central identity and access management system. This enables single sign-on (SSO) for users across devices and applications.

Better and Streamlined Deployment: Utilize and implement Windows Autopilot for the simplification of device deployment. It allows pre-configuration of devices with settings and applications before they reach users, minimizing setup time.

Automated Updates: Make use of Windows Update for Business for automated deployment of security patches and Windows feature updates. This is done to make sure that the device is up to date.

Data-Driven Decisions: Gain insights into device health, application usage, and potential security risks with Endpoint Analytics. This data helps you make informed decisions about device management and security.

2Windows 7 (Limited Functionality)

Modern Device Management solutions have limited functionality for Windows 7 due to its end-of-life status. Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading to a supported operating system for full security and management capabilities.

However, if upgrading isn't immediately possible, there are some options that you can use and there is a controlled environment.

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM): While not a true MDM solution, MECM offers some device management capabilities for Windows 7, but requires on-premises infrastructure compared to Intune's cloud-based approach.

Extended Security Updates (ESU): If you must use Windows 7 for a limited time, you can think about purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESU) from Microsoft for continued security patches, but this is a temporary solution and doesn't address full device management.

The post What is Modern Device Management and How to Apply it? first appeared on www.airdroid.com.