Sophos tackles BYOD challenges

Sophos announced Sophos EndUser Protection, a new security offering that tackles the challenges associated with bring-your-own-device (BYOD), and the increasing number of devices used by today’s mobile workforce.

Unlike traditional security products, which are licensed for each device separately, Sophos EndUser Protection provides consolidated protection for every device on a network by securing per-user rather than per-device. This means the organization receives protection for all of a user’s devices – from Windows and Macs to mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and Android devices – wherever users go.

Sophos EndUser Protection, the combination of the company’s award-winning endpoint protection and mobile device management (MDM) offerings, further alleviates the burden that BYOD places on IT while providing businesses with a compelling licensing proposition unmatched in the industry. This fusion also simplifies and improves the security and management of every device employees are using to access corporate data.

“Smartphones and tablets are an everyday part of today’s workplace, so businesses are adapting their policies and practices to ensure these devices don’t disrupt productivity or compromise security; security enables users to do their work,” said Charles Kolodgy, research VP, Security Products, IDC. “Sophos’ model of combining their endpoint and mobile device management offerings to secure users rather than devices can eliminate many of the costs and complexities normally associated with securing BYOD.”

In today’s business environment, employees are accessing data from both personal and corporate mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, whether they’re at headquarters, remote offices or on the road. According to the Cisco IBSG Horizons Study, in 2012, the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker was 2.8, and this number is projected to rise to 3.3 by 2014.

While these figures express the average number of devices per knowledge worker, for many employees who travel frequently or require constant connectivity, the number of devices used could be much higher. This increase in multiple devices has put a strain on IT departments and their budgets as they work to secure, manage and support these devices.

“Our clients are struggling to deal with the reality of BYOD, employees working from remote locations, and using multiple devices to access the business network,” said Sophos solution provider Josh More, senior security consultant, RJS Smart Security. “With Sophos Enduser Protection, we can help make securing our customers’ mobile workforces easier and more affordable, giving us a distinct advantage over other resellers that offer security by device.”

“Every day, I use three or four different devices for business purposes, and the consumerisation trend points to more people using even more devices,” said Matt Fairbanks CMO, Sophos. “Our value proposition to customers and partners is complete security without complexity. And as BYOD moves more to the forefront of complete security, Sophos EndUser Protection allows more IT professionals to embrace BYOD rather than try to reverse it.”