Data Breaches Don’t Discriminate: How to Take Robust Device Management to the Next Level
Rugged devices are designed to work rain or shine – literally. These devices can operate in harsh environments, including extreme temperatures, water, high vibrations, high dust, and for long periods of time.
They are particularly popular in warehouses, construction, logistics and healthcare, and their application area is expanding. In fact, one survey found that more than half of IT decision makers plan to increase their spending on rugged devices in the next 12-18 months.
But when it comes to data breaches, rugged devices are just as vulnerable as other technology. The cyber landscape can be just as hostile as the physical environment, and so the ruggedness of a device is as much about its defense against hacks as it is about its durability.
Founder and CEO of Hexnode.
Back to Security Basics
It’s easy to overlook the fundamentals of cybersecurity when managing advanced rugged devices, but without this baseline, you’re building on quicksand. Standard cybersecurity practices ensure that all devices in your fleet have protective measures that can evolve and adapt to your organization’s needs. These fundamentals include:
– Regular software updates for your operating systems, firmware and applications. Ideally, these updates should be automatic to ensure that all security vulnerabilities are patched with the latest releases and that security features respond to the latest threats.
– Two-factor authentication (2FA) and biometrics for account access. Passwords alone are not enough
– 2FA and biometrics provide an extra layer of protection that makes it harder for unauthorized players to access robust devices and their data.
– Only connect to secure, trusted Wi-Fi and VPN connections. If your team must use public internet connections, they should only do so with a VPN to avoid exposing sensitive information on rugged devices.
– Encrypt data for files stored on rugged devices, both at rest and in transit.
– Back up your data regularly (both offline and via the cloud) and store your data somewhere other than on rugged physical devices. If your data does experience a problem, you can remotely wipe it and it won’t be lost completely.
Update robust systems and strategies
Robust technical security requires upgrading your devices and equipment to close gaps in your security systems, especially in places where gaps are more likely to be targeted by malicious actors and could worsen. For example, researchers have shown that industrial barcode scanners used by airport baggage handling systems can remotely capture keystrokes and compromise the computer connected to the scanners.
In response, organizations must integrate robust technology with existing and evolving digital infrastructures. With this seamless connectivity, device management and operations are more efficient, and real-time decision-making is easier and more effective. It also reduces the opportunity for errors and for hackers to find and exploit entry points.
Consider Google’s latest Distributed Cloud configuration. The air-gapped device maintains connectivity in complete isolation (no connection to Google Cloud or the public internet), so users in rugged environments can still access Google Cloud applications without compromising data or increasing the risk of outages.
Likewise, there should be employee training for your staff to know how to use rugged devices safely and follow security protocols. A study by Stanford and Tessian reports that employee error causes 88% of data breaches, but policies such as requiring passwords, no automatic logins, and no personal app downloads can significantly reduce this number.
Physical maintenance of rugged devices is also important. That means cleaning, servicing, and a reliable support team to optimize devices and minimize operational disruptions. And where possible, you should customize your rugged technology based on how it’s being used—for example, by setting limits on battery usage and how many connections it can make at once. The more efficiently a rugged device operates, the better shielded it is from the business and cybersecurity environment.
Robust device management for remote reality
Rugged devices are designed for their immediate environment, but they are controlled (and protected) by external administrators. Organizations must therefore enforce external security policies that enable long-term, secure device use and data access.
This starts with remote data wipe and device lock. If your rugged devices are lost or stolen, your data can be remotely wiped and access to the device can be prevented. For rugged devices that operate in hazardous environments and could fall into the wrong hands, this functionality is essential.
Elsewhere, kiosk mode can restrict web browsing and app downloads on rugged devices, preventing data from being misused by unsafe apps and websites. Remote device inventory monitoring also helps, as it displays all managed devices in a single dashboard with insights on platform overview, device details, compliance violations, and device health. You can also implement remote device management, which tracks the precise location of devices in real time. With information on the longitude and latitude of devices, you can always inspect your fleet and ensure that devices are not where they should be.
Even with these robust device management steps, it’s still a good idea to have notifications and alerts in place for when potential security threats arise. These will inform your users and administrators ahead of time before issues escalate and a data breach can occur. For example, you can set up alerts around geofence breaches when your rugged devices are taken outside of a certain location.
The rough road ahead
Despite their name, rugged devices are susceptible to cybersecurity hacks and require regular maintenance to protect against them. And as rugged devices become more advanced, there is more pressure on IT admins to update those protections in parallel.
By brushing up on security basics, updating systems and strategies, and prioritizing remote management, your rugged devices can be truly rugged and deliver reliable ROI for organizations.
We have highlighted the best rugged laptops for you.
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