Symantec pushes hard on mobile security

 Protecting corporate data in increasingly mobile-dependent environments has become an increasingly complex IT challenge. It is one that spans multiple device types, the cloud and data in transit, while at the same time new mobility capabilities increase the risk for data leaks, malware, unauthorised access and lost devices.

To tackle these problems Symantec has concentrated development resources to coming up with solutions to issues such as mobile threat protection. In the process, the company has enhanced its enterprise mobility management solution, bringing together relevant technologies required to improve productivity and protect information across devices and applications to create a solution that allows enterprises to confidently embrace the mobile workforce.

The company’s  mobile development focus has been on providing enterprises with secure access to mobile apps, content and devices, as well as enforcement capabilities to manage access, policies, encryption and data loss prevention. Development efforts have introduced enhancements for protecting business email, one of the most widely adopted mobile applications.

“Symantec is the first company to integrate mobile device management, app wrapping, threat protection, and email client and browser apps into one enterprise mobility management solution”

The main developments include the integration of App Center and Norton Mobile Security to produce capabilities claimed to be unmatched by any other mobile device management solution. The combined tools deliver a single console that provides enforcement for device antivirus compliance and protects Android users from mobile malware, privacy risks, freeware, and fraudulent websites.

Application wrapping technology are now available to help customers manage a secure ecosystem of third-party licenced applications and enterprise applications in a single, secure workspace for corporate end users. A proprietary intelligence tool is also available that processes 10,000 new apps every 24 hours. It provides dynamic analysis for apps in more than 200 app stores to determine potential security risks, privacy risks and potentially intrusive behaviour.

Released as a feature of App Center 4.4, the Email Gateway provides a secure buffer between mobile devices and Exchange Active Sync (EAS) email servers. By maintaining independence from existing EAS mail infrastructures, Email Gateway mitigates unauthorised access, malware, and malicious attacks on corporate email systems.  Also in App Center 4.4, the Secure App Proxy provides granular, secure per-application access to corporate network resources. This allows enterprise administrators to extend access to data inside the corporate firewall without the need for device-level VPN or MDM controls.

In the App Center 4.4 update, new partner APIs allow external partners, like system integrators, telecommunications operators and service providers, to integrate App Center mobility capabilities into existing IT infrastructure or third-party applications.

The company’sPush Authentication technology for Symantec Validation and ID Protection (VIP) Service removes the need to manually enter a PIN when logging into a VPN connection. Users can click “allow’ and the VPN client will automatically log in.

There is a new, beta app, called Norton Spot which provides information on potential Android app threats to users before they download apps from Google Play. Symantec claims that no other provider on the market can offer this ability.

“Symantec is the first company to integrate mobile device management, app wrapping, threat protection, and email client and browser apps into one enterprise mobility management solution,” said Amit Mital, chief technology officer of Symantec. “Across the enterprise, our security pedigree, intelligence insights and ability to deliver comprehensive solutions set us apart. And we’re replicating that in the mobile space so our customers can give their employees the tools they need to remain productive, while ensuring the right security controls are in place to protect critical information.”

In the company’s view, email productivity will remain a key priority for enterprises. To meet this growing need, Symantec recently acquiredNitroDesk. It now plans to integrate this mature email application with Symantec’s existing app-wrapping, device management, threat protection, data loss prevention, authentication and identity technologies to provide customers with a solution that improves business collaboration and out-of-office productivity.

In addition, Symantec anticipates a steady wave of mobile enhancements to continue to roll out in the next several months to further enable mobile productivity and security for customers.