Factory reset is the most commonly used feature to delete the device data. Factory reset also clears the device of any existing applications and settings. A Factory reset literally resets the devices to the settings available on the device at the time it was shipped from the factory.
Also known as Master reset, the Factory reset feature of Android devices make a used device as good as new (the software of course).The new user can create and update the device settings to their preferences. For devices that are exchanged in leasing or passed on to new users, factory reset is a very important feature. Factory reset streamlines the new set up of old devices. But for corporate-owned devices, this can invite trouble
The Importance of Factory Reset Protection in Corporate-owned Devices
Corporate-owned devices are devices purchased and distributed by a company or an organization for business use. These devices can be distributed to individual employees or be deployed as public kiosks, shared devices between frontline workers, configured as digital signage and so on.
These corporate-owned devices are hence at the risk of being stolen, lost or misused. Managing the devices with an MDM solution can prevent data breaches on such devices. But the device in itself is susceptible to misuse if the MDM profile is removed from the said device. The attackers can factory reset the device and unlock it from the MDM profile and use it for personal benefits.
Factory reset enables the end-user to wipe any data, apps and settings on the device and reset the device to new preferences without the control of IT admins/ device owners. To ensure that the device is not available for any other use than the pre-decided business purpose, it is necessary to ensure factory reset protection on corporate-owned devices.
If the device is not protected against Factory reset, the end-user can take the following actions on the device:
- Reset the device settings
- Clear the security policies & restrictions on apps & browsing
- Install applications
- The device will not be trackable by the company
- Device will be misused for personal/non-business use
How to ensure Factory Reset Protection using Scalefusion MDM
Scalefusion MDM offers Factory reset protection feature to protect the Android devices from being factory reset. IT admins can block the Factory reset feature on Android EMM and Samsung Knox devices.
Here’s how to turn on the Factory Reset Protection using Scalefusion
On Android EMM devices:
Step 1: Activate the Factory Reset Protection via the Android Utilities setting of the Scalefusion dashboard. Currently all the email accounts for FRP are deactivated.
Step 2: Now, click on the Add Account button to add a gmail account that can be used to complete device setup upon factory reset. You can add one or more Gmail accounts that can be used to sign-in to the device if it is factory reset.
Step 3: Now, select the Google Plus account credential to activate the factory reset protection. You can select the account your browser is currently logged in or choose another account.
Step 4: Now the account will be added to the Scalefusion Dashboard for FRP protection.
When the end-user of any enrolled EMM device will attempt to factory reset the device, the device will ask for the login credentials of the previously set up Gmail accounts to continue the device setup.
Factory Reset Protection by Scalefusion will be available on Samsung, Sony and LG EMM devices. It is important to ensure that for these devices, Scalefusion is set as device owner in the EMM settings.
On Samsung Knox devices:
Samsung Knox extends additional security settings to Knox devices. When IT admins are managing Samsung Knox devices with Scalefusion MDM, the Factory reset is automatically disabled. If the user tried to factory reset the device, the MDM profile is automatically re-installed during the device setup.
To ensure FRP on Samsung Knox devices, setup Samsung Knox on the Scalefusion dashboard before enrolling Samsung Knox devices.
Ensuring Factory reset protection with Scalefusion helps IT admins gain granular control over devices, eliminating the threat of device misuse and tampering.
