As mobile usage becomes more prevalent, so does the need to protect your work or school data on those devices. One method used to protect that data is through device enrollment. Device enrollment enables organizations to deploy compliance policies (PIN strength, /root validation, etc.), as well as configuration policies (WIFI, certificates, VPN, etc.). Device enrollment also enables organizations to manage app lifecycle.
With Android 5.0, Google introduced a new management profile with the introduction of managed device (device owner) and work profile (profile owner) modes (what is collectively known as Android Enterprise now).
Android Enterprise supports several enrollment scenarios, two of which are covered as part of this framework:
When configuring device compliance and configuration policies, the number of various settings and options enable organizations to tailor the protection to their specific needs. Due to this flexibility, it may not be obvious which permutation of policy settings are required to implement a complete scenario. To help organizations prioritize client endpoint hardening, Microsoft has introduced a new taxonomy for security configurations in Windows 10, and Intune is leveraging a similar taxonomy for its Android Enterprise security configuration framework.
The Android Enterprise security configuration framework is organized into several distinct configuration scenarios, providing guidance for work profile and fully managed scenarios.
For Android Enterprise work profile devices:
Note: Due to the settings available in Android Enterprise work profile, there is no basic security (Level 1) offering. The available settings did not justify a difference between Level 1 and Level 2 and there is a need to maintain consistency with the configuration framework nomenclature across platforms.
For Android Enterprise fully managed devices:
Note: The framework is designed with the understanding that organizations own the Android Enterprise fully managed devices.
To see the specific recommendations for each configuration level, review Android Enterprise Security Configuration Framework.
As with any framework, settings within a corresponding level may need to be adjusted based on the needs of the organization as security must evaluate the threat environment, risk appetite, and impact to usability.
We hope this framework helps you when evaluating what Android Enterprise settings to deploy in your environment, or if you are transitioning away from Android device administrator. As always, if you have questions, please let us know.
Ross Smith IV
Principal Program Manager
Customer Experience Engineering
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