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    How to Disable Hardware Keys on Android devices using Scalefusion?

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    As an organization, when you adapt to mobility and usage of more and more mobile devices for work, you expect better operations and efficiency. Isn’t it? But, it is equally concerning when these devices are misused for personal use or are fiddled by the users. Even after locking these devices with the help of various lockdown apps for restricted usage, users are nowadays smart enough to find out ways to remove these apps from the devices.

    How to Disable Hardware Keys on Android devices using Scalefusion?
    Manage the keyguard functionality virtually with Scalefusion

    How locked down Android devices are susceptible to misuse by users?

    Adopting digital technology such as the deployment of Android devices for various business purposes is not easy. Businesses take several measures to restrict their Android devices’ usage to mission-critical purposes. Enterprises implement various Android mobile device management software to allow limited applications and websites on their corporate Android devices, secure network access, as well as to lock down the public-facing, unattended Android devices in a Kiosk Mode. However, despite these efforts, users are always a step ahead in figuring out hacks to render these device policies and restrictions useless.

    Many users have deciphered ways to toggle with the pre-configured settings using just the hardware keys. Users are smart enough to navigate through the device using the hardware buttons and misuse the device despite having various enterprise-specific security policies in place. Businesses are concerned about users deleting critical data, reconfiguring device settings or even misusing the safe mode to remove any MDM-enabled profiles, policies or restrictions set on the devices.

    There are so many possible outcomes that can be executed by users to disrupt the regulations set on their devices by their organizations. They can try and uninstall the lockdown app, and the device is then no longer locked and can be used for personal purposes. To escape device tracking, they can switch the device into flight mode, even when they are not in the flight so the admins cannot track that device from the dashboard. Smart isn’t it? If you are thinking that these are only the things which users can do then let’s accept the fact that whenever a new technology is introduced, our super-smart users will immediately find out loopholes to try to defeat that technology!! So, the concerning thing is that there are unlimited possibilities that can put devices and data security in jeopardy which no enterprise can afford.

    Any solutions?

    The answer is Yes. you can disable hardware buttons on Android devices. For the same reasons as above, certain Android device manufacturers like Samsung and LG have SDKs ( Software Development Kit ) Knox and LG Gate respectively. Scalefusion, a Mobile Device Management Software, leverages this feature and helps enterprises to have better control & management of the devices ensuring their usage for the specified purpose only.

    Have better control and management over the Cloud of company-owned mobile devices with Scalefusion

    Scalefusion locks the Android devices over the cloud to use them for a specific business purpose only and all the enrolled devices can be managed easily from a web-based console. It enables you to whitelist websites and allows only certain apps which avoids unnecessary browsing and controls data usage. It has various other features like location tracking in real-time, geo-fencing, enterprise stores to name a few, making it an efficient mobile device management solution.

    How Scalefusion Disable Hardware Keys that leverages Samsung Knox features for enhanced security?

    At the time of enrollment of the Samsung devices for Scalefusion, Samsung Knox is activated on the devices, thereafter the admin can apply/activate different security settings as per the requirement of different devices.

    Device Name

    Factory reset settings can be disabled on the devices so that the user cannot remove the lockdown software or even delete any data and any other apps by restoring the devices to factory settings.

    Under boot options, you can disable the airplane, safe, and guest mode, as in many instances, the user keeps their devices in flight mode to go beyond the pre-set Geo-fence and escape device tracking.

    In the case of a multi-window view, if enabled, users can view the apps and websites which are disabled in lockdown mode by Scalefusion, which overrides the kiosk mode settings. So to avoid it, Scalefusion admin can overcome it by disabling the multi-window view itself.

    Setting_Device
    Device Setting

    However, all the controls are not only for safeguarding the use but also provide convenience to the users. For e.g. a user is filling a form in the browser and accidentally presses the home key, if not disabled then he will lose all the data which he had entered in the form and will have to start filling it from scratch. In addition to the home key, Scalefusion Admin can disable the back key and App switch keys as well.

    For better data security, USB access is controlled by disabling MTP access and the connection of devices via USB access. When the user connects a USB or the device to any other device like a laptop by a data cable, no data transfer can happen from either of the devices. This avoids unnecessary transfer of critical company data from company-owned devices to other personal devices.

    All the above security settings are set right from the time of enrolling the devices but if it is not done, Admin can later apply the settings from the Scalefusion dashboard.

    To conclude, Android devices used in organizations for business purposes can be precisely managed by leveraging the security features of the device manufacturers.  We have described here only about Samsung Knox, but in the same way, other Android devices can also be controlled and managed by enabling or disabling the hardware keys and controls.

    To get more in-depth knowledge on mobility and Scalefusion mobile device management, visit our website https://scalefusion.com/

    Nema Buch
    Nema Buch
    Nema Buch is a Research & Marketing professional, also writes for Scalefusion on Enterprise Mobility trends, SaaS, and different Industry Verticals.

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