Zenprise secures mobile devices with MobileManager 6.0

Zenprise is giving its MobileManager enterprise mobility platform a security overhaul with new protection at the device, network and back-end application levels, forming what the company calls "triple tier" protection.

Due to ship before the end of December, MobileManager 6.0 adds adaptive defensive features into its endpoint agent to better secure information on the mobile device, plus controls to ensure that users have access only to the applications and resources on the network that they are authorised to use.

"The world of security is changing. Data used to be contained safely within the four walls of the enterprise, but mobile has changed all that," said Zenprise vice president of marketing Ahmed Datoo.

Many companies are now in the situation where sensitive information is held on mobile devices carried by workers who are often using devices not under the control of the IT department and using public networks to connect back to base.

MobileManager 6.0 adds features to protect this information, starting with Dynamic Defence built into the endpoint agent, which can automatically respond to events, according to Zenprise.

This includes shutting down the connection if the device is linked to an insecure Wi-Fi network, or wiping the device if it detects that the SIM card has been removed.

"Criminals are getting smarter, and the first thing they now do if they get hold of a corporate device is take out the SIM so it can't be remotely wiped," explained Datoo.

The second new feature is Secure Connect, which creates an application-specific secure tunnel back to the corporate network.

This functions like a virtual private network (VPN), but standard VPNs secure only the communications pipeline and provide users with "full access to the corporate network", potentially exposing the company to any malware that might have compromised the mobile device.

"So when I launch SAP on my device, Secure Connect automatically creates a secure connection just for that application. No other application is allowed to communicate back to the corporate network," said Datoo.

MobileManager's final new feature is the Mobile Application Gateway, which authenticates users and ensures they are authorised to access a specific application.

"One of the things we already do is provision applications to the endpoint, so if you get the SAP client on your device the Mobile Application Gateway is automatically updated to allow access from you on the internet port used by that application, which also makes life easier for the IT administrator," explained Datoo.

The Mobile Application Gateway also logs all application traffic for regulatory compliance, according to Zenprise.

MobileManager already supports a wide range of mobile devices, including Apple's iPhone and iPad, BlackBerry handsets, Windows Mobile devices, and Palm WebOS.

Licensing details for the new MobileManager 6.0 have yet to be disclosed.