As technology becomes more integrated into personal and professional lives, the modern workplace has evolved tremendously. Where employees once worked primarily from a centralized office location, new digital tools now enable remote and hybrid work arrangements on a massive scale.
While this new flexibility benefits employer and employees, it also introduces new security challenges in an era of rising cyber threats.
Protecting a remote or hybrid workforce, securing devices across operating systems, and maintaining compliance are some issues organizations now face.
Fortunately, solutions like Microsoft InTune make it possible to manage today’s technology-enabled workplace securely. With InTune, you can deploy device security policies, configure apps, monitor compliance, and protect sensitive data, whether employees are in the office or on the go.
This article explores how InTune secures the modern workplace.
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1. Securing Remote and Hybrid Workforces
As more employees work remotely or follow hybrid schedules, securing off-network access is paramount. Traditional office-based security systems no longer suffice in this new distributed environment.
Devices are used for work purposes in public settings without the inherent protections of your corporate network. This introduces risks, as they may be more vulnerable to physical loss, theft, or cyber-attacks when away from the office.
InTune provides modern authentication, device management, and conditional access controls to help secure your remote and hybrid workforce. Passwordless sign-in options like Windows Hello for Business allow users to authenticate without vulnerable passwords.
If a device is misplaced or stolen, InTune enables admins to remotely wipe, lock or retire it with a few clicks from the centralized admin console.
Its robust device management functionality further secures the distributed workforce. Admins can remotely configure security settings and deploy policies to Android, iOS/iPadOS, macOS and Windows devices from a single portal.
Conditional access rules enabled during InTune Deployment make it possible to control which users, apps, locations and devices can gain access to company systems and data based on their assessed risk.
These features help secure your mobile workforce without compromising productivity, even when they are working outside the traditional office.
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2. Reliable Device Management
As organizations support various operating systems, managing devices from a unified portal is crucial yet challenging. InTune streamlines administration through a centralized console for enrolling, configuring and securing corporate and BYOD devices running Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS.
It offers simple zero-touch enrollment for Windows devices using NDES (Network Device Enrollment Service). Other platforms can be onboarded through self-service Company Portal apps or integration with third-party MDM providers.
Once enrolled, InTune allows admins to configure settings remotely, deploy required apps, monitor policy compliance, and selectively wipe only corporate data in the event of loss or theft. Its cross-platform capabilities ensure a consistent management experience regardless of device type.
For example, InTune supports BitLocker encryption on Windows machines and FileVault on macOS. It also integrates with platform-specific features like Android for Work profiles. This unified, reliable approach to device management is vital for securing distributed workforces using diverse personal and company-owned devices.
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3. Encrypted Data Protection
As work becomes location-independent, sensitive data may exist across various devices and networks outside IT’s control. Comprehensive encryption services are, therefore, essential for modern workplace security.
InTune supports device-level encryption on all significant platforms and file/folder-level protection for individual documents. It also enforces network-level security with protocols like IPsec and TLS to safeguard data in transit.
On Windows devices, InTune seamlessly leverages BitLocker encryption. For macOS, it enables FileVault to provide complete disk protection. Mobile Threat Defense further shields iOS/iPadOS and Android devices by detecting malware, phishing attempts and network attacks in real-time.
These layered encryption methods help protect sensitive corporate information regardless of where or how it is accessed and stored.
Whether data resides on devices, in use over networks or at rest in files/folders, InTune’s built-in security features give organizations and their users confidence that privacy and compliance are maintained everywhere work happens.
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4. App and Compliance Management
Centrally managing apps and enforcing policy compliance is critical as workforces mobilize. InTune provides a unified experience for deploying, accessing and monitoring apps across all managed devices.
It allows admins to install or remove software from the Microsoft Store or third parties remotely with a few clicks. Conditional access rules let you control which users, groups or devices can access specific apps based on their assessed risk level, geographic location or other customizable criteria.
Automated reports within the admin console give complete visibility into real-time license usage, access patterns and compliance across your entire fleet. InTune also streamlines compliance through customizable security baselines that define password requirements, encryption and other settings.
Devices report their status to the dashboard, making identifying and remediating any vulnerabilities easy. Remote wipe capabilities further secure data by allowing selective or complete removal of only corporate information from lost or de-provisioned devices.
These app and compliance features empower your distributed workforce with a consistent experience while maintaining security and productivity. Users get seamless access to required applications, and IT gains centralized visibility and control over licensing, policy adherence and remediation.
Final Thoughts
Securing today’s technology-enabled workplace involves addressing new challenges as work becomes more distributed and mobile. Microsoft InTune provides a comprehensive solution for centrally managing, securing and protecting company and personal devices running Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS operating systems.
Its passwordless authentication, reliable device management, encryption services, app deployment and compliance monitoring capabilities work seamlessly together.
InTune thus empowers organizations to embrace the future of work with confidence as their workforces mobilize.
