IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced the latest version of its leading data protection solution, SafeGuard Enterprise, which offers the industry’s first enterprise cloud encryption capabilities. SafeGuard protects critical data in public, private and hybrid cloud environments. 

Securing the Cloud Automatically

Many of today’s businesses use cloud services to store and share sensitive data; cloud services are useful tools that let people get to their files from anywhere and, on any device. However, many others feel there is still considerable risk with cloud services; they are hesitant to embrace due to uncertainties around where data is stored, and are uneasy about cloud services having full access to this data.

According to the (November 2011) Ernst Young Global Information Security Survey, 61 percent of respondents will be using or evaluating cloud services within the next year. This will be a mix of public, private and hybrid cloud environments. However, 52 percent of organizations said they haven’t implemented controls to mitigate data risk in the cloud.  

SafeGuard Encryption for Cloud Storage automatically encrypts files uploaded to the cloud from any managed endpoint, reinforcing “protection everywhere� peace of mind. This simple process requires little more than choosing a password, which allows secure file access from anywhere – thereby improving collaboration and increasing productivity.

“This latest version of SafeGuard Enterprise with its cloud encryption capabilities complements our efforts to make our hardware work the best with the cloud,� said Clain Anderson, director of software, Lenovo. “The combination of Lenovo PC products and Sophos software enables companies to confidently utilize the cloud to improve productivity without compromising data security.�

Securing the Internal Cloud Storage

Data protection is more than stopping sensitive files from being leaked by unauthorized users. IT staff typically have access to every file on the network, which is both daunting and stressful, especially in the event of data breaches or other malicious activities. With SafeGuard Encryption for File Share, this stress is alleviated, as only privileged users have access to sensitive data. SafeGuard FileShares uses central keys to give access to files for authorized users or groups, while keeping these files encrypted for everyone else. More importantly, SafeGuard ensures that all files remain encrypted regardless if copied or moved to another drive, network or device.

Data on the Move

According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2011 to 2016, there will be approximately eight billion mobile devices by 2016, which will exceed the world’s population. 

As the roaming workforce increases, so does the need to access data on the go. However, sensitive data that is available via mobile devices is not always encrypted. Safeguard Enterprise changes that with seamless integration between the cloud and mobile devices. The Sophos Mobile Encryption App works in conjunction with SafeGuard Encryption for Cloud Storage. Users encrypt their data using the SafeGuard Encryption for Cloud Storage and this data is available via smart phones and tablets to authorized users irrespective of location.

“One of Verizon’s challenges is to secure not just laptops and disk drives, but also files on servers, stored in the cloud and accessed from mobile devices,� said Paul Dooley, Information Technology Manager, Verizon. “SafeGuard Enterprise gives us data protection options—from computers, flash drives, shared network folders and to the cloud. Sophos is securing our data and keeping management simple.�

“In today’s business world, users are everywhere, and data protection needs to be everywhere too,â€? said Matthias Pankert, Vice President, Product Management , Sophos . “With businesses continuing to experience costly and embarrassing breaches, it’s more important than ever to secure data. The latest version of SafeGuard Enterprise provides complete data protection.â€?

Sophos will showcase SafeGuard, among its other leading solutions, at RSA (booth #1817). For additional information on SafeGuard, please visit www.sophos.com/sgn6 .

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IT security and data protection company Sophos, and Egnyte, a leading provider of hybrid cloud file server solutions, today announced the integration of Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise and Egnyte HybridCloud file server , which offers businesses an end-to-end solution for directly managing the encryption of data stored locally or in the cloud. Customers can define and manage their own encryption keys, enabling complete control over files no matter where they live.

As cloud services gain traction in the enterprise, and consumerization of IT continues its rapid ascent, data leakage has become a major concern for IT managers. Files no longer live in one location – they are shared across local storage, cloud provider storage and a growing diversity of devices. Increased collaboration means partners, employees and customers need secure access to these files, whether they are in an office or roaming.

Importance of encryption across a hybrid-cloud

Ownership over encryption keys is an essential part of enterprise security policies and protections. This allows customer files to be encrypted throughout the process of file transfer and across multiple devices and locations.  Most importantly, enterprises have full control over their own data with ownership of their own encryption keys.

Through this partnership, Egnyte HybridCloud customers can use Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise to create and control their own encryption key to secure designated files. Customers have access to files anywhere, anytime, whether behind the firewall or in the cloud, as well as consistent encryption standards at every point.

“While the cloud opens up many opportunities to collaborate seamlessly, it also presents security issues and uncertainties, especially as employees use personal devices to access company information,� said Vineet Jain, CEO and co-founder, Egnyte. “What’s unique about our partnership with Sophos is that the combination of our services provides the market with a hybrid-cloud solution that scales up and down as needed, and provides IT managers with ultimate control over their data and the ability to manage encryption keys without additional support.�

“The cloud is changing the enterprise IT landscape and Egnyte is at the forefront of this evolution. One of the biggest drivers for adoption is understanding how to carry a security policy from the customer side through to the cloud provider,� said Matthias Pankert, VP product management, Data Protection, Sophos. “As providers like Egnyte develop these abilities, enterprise cloud computing will be utilized even further. An example is true mobility freedom – the concept that smartphones and tablets become viable equals to the laptop or desktop. We see our partnership with Egnyte evolving to support this shift in the future.�

About Egnyte

Over 1 billion files are being shared by businesses daily using Egnyte HybridCloud file server. Egnyte’s unique technology provides the speed and security of  local storage  with the accessibility of the cloud. Users can easily store,  share,  access and  backup files, while IT has the centralized administration and control to enforce business policies. Egnyte, founded 2007, is based in Mountain View, California and is a privately held company backed by venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Floodgate Fund, and Polaris Venture Partners. For more information, please visit  www.egnyte.com or call  1-877-7EGNYTE.

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28 Feb 2012

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About Sophos

More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry’s lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs – a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.

Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.

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BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.

BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2011 – IT security and data protection company Sophos today announced Sophos Mobile Control 2.0, the latest version of its award-winning mobile device management solution, which ensures customers have complete protection everywhere and on any device. Sophos Mobile Control supports a variety of mobile devices and operating systems such as Apple iPhones and iPads, including the latest iOS5 release, Google Android phones and tablets, Windows Mobile devices and RIM BlackBerry—managing all of these from one web-based console.

Mobile Everywhere

The market for smart phones and tablets continues to accelerate. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, worldwide media tablet shipments rose 303.8 percent year over year in the second calendar quarter of 2011 (2Q11) to 13.6 million units. And according to research from Gartner, titled “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2012 and Beyond: Control Slips Away (ID # G00226767),â€? by 2016, at least 50% of enterprise email users will rely primarily on a browser, tablet or mobile client, instead of a desktop client.

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, many people are utilizing their personal devices for work as well. Nearly three quarters of companies allow employee-owned smart phones and/or tablets to be used at work, based on Aberdeen data from 2011. A quarter give employees a white list of allowed devices, while almost half let employees use any device.  Accessing sensitive data on these devices is causing an array of security and compliance issues for businesses and their IT staffs, which are now tasked with enabling the use of consumer devices, developing new mobile applications for business use while maintaining consistent policies and device compliance across all employees.

Mobile Device Management Made Less Complex

Sophos Mobile Control is designed specifically for IT administrators to simply and quickly secure, monitor and control smart phones and other personal mobile devices. Enhancements incorporated into this latest version include:

•  Enterprise App Store: brings the look and feel of a typical app store, but allows IT administrators to configure, require or recommend apps to download. This feature also enables administrators to deploy company-specific apps that are not published in the Apple App Store or the Google Market.
• Compliance Enforcement: allows IT administrators to set specific rules that execute consistent policies from device to device, including such actions as denying un-encrypted devices or blacklisting specific applications. This new feature logs all compliance issues on a web-based dashboard that permits the administrator to see all non-compliant devices, details of the violations and actions required to remediate the issue. Non-compliant devices can be automatically disabled from receiving further access to corporate data.
• Self Service Portal: further eases the burden on IT. After registering an employee device, users are able to access features such as lock mobile devices, wipe devices, locate devices and reset passwords. With the self-service portal, employees are now able to resolve most problems on their own without exhausting IT resources.

“Being able to choose from a variety of smart phones and tablet devices is very appealing to today’s consumer, but as more consumers utilize one device for both personal and business use, it brings with it added security risks, especially in the event that the device gets lost or stolen, and the owner uses neither a pin nor a password,� said Björn Stenmanns, IT-Services and manager of Data Center Operations, Socura. “Sophos Mobile Control removes that risk, thanks to its ability to remotely locate, lock and wipe devices, thereby allaying our IT concerns. And because Sophos Mobile Control allows us to manage today’s diversity of mobile devices in one central management tool, our IT staff can focus on myriad other tasks.�

“We understand that businesses are increasingly mobile and their workforce is adding an extra layer of complexity,� said Matthias Pankert, vice president of Product Management, Mobile Data Protection, Sophos. “With the enhancements within Sophos Mobile Control, we are aiming to streamline and simplify device and data protection, while giving employees the flexibility they want, and IT departments the protection they need.�

For additional information on Sophos Mobile Control, view this video.