In this fifth article in our data security series, filip.verholen explains the challenges and importance of securing your mobile data. Read the entire series here.
Mobility: Shaping the future of business
Mobile devices and apps have transformed our personal lives, making it easier to share photos, deposit checks, find a parking spot, and stay in touch with just about anyone at any time. Now mobile solutions are having a similar impact on the workplace, with more and more people relying on mobile devices to do their work from home – or 30,000 feet in the air. With a vast and growing subscriber base, and with users spending an average of three hours per day on a mobile device, mobile technologies are poised to radically shape the future of business – affecting growth, increasing operational results, and reducing costs. CIOs are taking note, in one survey ranking mobile technologies among their top three technology priorities, second only to analytics and before even cloud computing.
The quest for consumer-grade enterprise apps
Mobile is no stranger to the “consumerization of technology.” Consumers expect the latest, fastest, and most innovative apps and services from their mobile devices and providers – and they expect no less from their enterprise mobility solutions, including outstanding graphics, easy navigation patterns, and intuitive touch interfaces. The consumerization of mobility is pushing IT organizations to deliver sophisticated consumer-grade experiences while maintaining a secure infrastructure that can support rapid enterprise growth and mobility.
A web of complexity
Managing the numerous, ever-changing interactions among applications, platforms, data sources, providers, and devices can challenge an organization’s mobile security. Add to that millennial users’ reported lack of concern about security, and you have the potential for problems. New platform and device releases are constantly entering the market, while more subscribers means more bandwidth and more sophisticated apps. The daunting challenge to enterprise mobile security? Make secure, decision-ready information available at any time, anywhere, using solutions that apply equally to any device, any person, and any interaction at any time.
A web of complexity
The inherent complexity of this model makes point-to-point security solutions unworkable. Ensuring individual security between all devices in a network and web services, databases, applications, and files leads to security, development, TCO, and management headaches for developers and administrators alike. For example, mobile devices can be in any number of hands – so how can you control data access even on a secure device?
An open, secure, and manageable solution for mobile security
Instead of point-to-point security, you need a mobile platform sophisticated enough to handle all connections. With the SAP mobile platform, SAP offers both cloud and on-premise mobile solutions that are open, secure, and manageable. Devices can securely consume data services while the platform manages connectivity, security, and administration. Open standards decouple the back-end system landscape from UI and device implications, increasing business visibility while making it possible to develop mobile apps without knowing the details of SAP business applications. For security, the SAP mobile platform offers:
- The same authentication infrastructure as the SAP desktop environment
- Secure connections without VPN
- Client-side credential management
- Encryption of data in motion and at rest
- Secure control center UI
CIOs and IT are trusted with safeguarding the enterprise; to do so, they need clear visibility into system usage and performance. SAP uses built-in reports to provide insight into usage by user, device type, application, vendor, version, and access time. Additional mobile security applications include SAP Mobile App Protection, which secures the app, its data, and the connection to the enterprise.
Get started now
How secure is your mobile data? What about access control? SAP Security Advisory Services will assess your mobile solution based on your business and IT goals, then help you design a solution with the security and business functionality you need. We also offer support for installation, configuration, and rollout. To learn more about how SAP security consulting can help you ensure mobile data security, visit us online.
If you want to learn more, please visit the SAP Service & Support area at SAPPHIRE NOW 2015 in Orlando.
