Mobile Device Management: Enrollment, Policy, and Security

Part of the Cybersecurity Skills Guide — This article is one deep-dive in our complete guide series.

By HADESS Team | February 28, 2026 | Updated: February 28, 2026 | 5 min read

Mobile devices access corporate email, internal applications, and sensitive data, but they leave the building every day and connect to untrusted networks. MDM gives you control over these devices — enforcing security policies, managing applications, and wiping data when a device is lost or an employee departs.

Device Enrollment

Enrollment is how devices register with your MDM platform. The method depends on device ownership and operating system:

Corporate-owned devices should use zero-touch enrollment. Apple Business Manager (ABM) for iOS/macOS, Android Enterprise zero-touch, and Windows Autopilot all register devices with your MDM during initial setup before the user sees the home screen. This ensures policies are enforced from first power-on.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) enrollment requires user consent. The user installs the MDM agent or management profile voluntarily. On iOS, this is an MDM enrollment profile. On Android, the work profile feature separates corporate data into a managed container without touching personal data. Users accept terms of use that explain what the organization can and cannot see on their personal device.

Enrollment challenges: users resist enrollment on personal devices because they fear employer monitoring. Be transparent about what the MDM actually collects. Most modern MDM solutions in BYOD mode can see work app inventory, device compliance status (passcode set, OS version), and corporate data — but not personal photos, messages, or browsing history. Communicate this clearly.

Policy Enforcement

MDM policies define the minimum security requirements for devices accessing corporate resources:

Passcode requirements: minimum length, complexity, biometric authentication allowed, auto-lock timeout. Set these based on the sensitivity of data the device accesses. A device with email-only access has different requirements than one accessing patient records.

Encryption: verify that device encryption is enabled. iOS enables it by default when a passcode is set. Android has supported file-based encryption since Android 7. Windows requires BitLocker. Your MDM should check encryption status and block non-compliant devices.

OS version enforcement: set minimum supported OS versions and push update reminders. Devices running unsupported OS versions with known vulnerabilities should be blocked from accessing corporate resources after a grace period.

Network restrictions: configure VPN profiles for access to internal resources. Restrict connections to approved WiFi networks in high-security environments. Configure per-app VPN to route only corporate app traffic through the VPN tunnel.

Jailbreak/root detection: detect and block jailbroken iOS devices and rooted Android devices. These devices have bypassed OS security controls and should be treated as untrusted.

Application Management

Mobile Application Management (MAM) controls which apps are deployed to devices and how they handle corporate data:

App deployment: push required apps (VPN client, email, corporate tools) automatically during enrollment. Maintain an enterprise app catalog that users can browse for optional business applications.

App configuration: pre-configure settings for managed apps so users do not need to manually enter server addresses, authentication details, or feature toggles. Managed App Configuration (AppConfig) standardizes this across platforms.

Data protection policies: prevent managed apps from sharing data with unmanaged apps. Block copy/paste from corporate email to personal messaging apps. Require “Open In” restrictions so corporate documents can only be opened in managed document viewers. These controls matter most on BYOD devices where corporate and personal apps coexist.

App updates: push app updates centrally rather than relying on users to update. Outdated apps with known vulnerabilities are a risk your MDM should manage.

Remote Wipe

When a device is lost, stolen, or an employee leaves the organization, you need to remove corporate data. MDM provides two wipe options:

Selective wipe removes only corporate data and configurations: work email, managed apps, VPN profiles, WiFi configurations, and certificates. Personal data remains untouched. This is the appropriate action for BYOD devices.

Full wipe factory-resets the device, erasing everything. This is appropriate for corporate-owned devices or lost/stolen devices where corporate data protection outweighs data recovery.

Automate wipe triggers for known-bad conditions: a device that has been offline for 90+ days, an account that has been disabled in your identity provider, or a device that has been reported lost through your IT service desk.

Next Steps

• Assess your mobile security knowledge with the skills assessment
• Browse endpoint and device security topics in the skills library
• Use the coaching tool to build a mobile security learning plan

Related Guides in This Series

• EDR: Endpoint Detection, Response, and Threat Hunting — HADESS | 2026
• Firewall Management: Rules, Zones, and Change Control — HADESS | 2026
• Hardware Security Modules: Key Management and Compliance — HADESS | 2026

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