MDM

MDM, or mobile device management, lets an organisation control work phones from a central panel, with rules, app lists, locks and remote wipe.

MDM: MDM stands for mobile device management. It is software that lets an employer or school manage phones and tablets from one place. It can enforce a screen lock, install or block apps, set Wi-Fi, locate a device and wipe it remotely if it is lost.

If you use a phone given by your office, an MDM profile is probably on it. That is normal, but it means your employer may see and control parts of the device. Read what the policy says, and keep personal photos and chats off a work phone where you can. Do not use it for private banking. Some stalkers and scammers misuse this same feature on personal phones, so know exactly who manages yours.

Be careful with a stranger asking you to install a management profile or app, a trick used to take control of a phone. Genuine management comes from your own employer through their process. On your own phone, install no profile that you do not fully understand. If you leave a job, ask that the profile be removed from your phone.

Tips

• Keep personal chats, photos and banking off a phone that your employer manages.
• Never install a management profile or certificate because a caller or message asks.
• Ask your IT team what the policy can see on your phone.

Related terms