Organizations have become heavily dependent on Windows-based laptops and desktops. According to Statcounter, Windows holds the largest market share at 73.41% as of October 2024[1]. This makes managing and securing Windows devices and the data they contain, a critical aspect of security.
To enhance these management and security efforts, Scalefusion UEM offers GeoFencing for Windows devices, a feature that automatically secures Windows devices and data based on their physical location. By defining specific geographic boundaries, businesses can proactively enforce security measures, ensuring that devices entering or leaving these zones are automatically protected.
To provide you with a better understanding, this blog explains how Scalefusion’s GeoFencing for Windows can enhance the security of your Windows-based devices and servers, keeping your data safe and secure.
Understanding GeoFencing for Windows 10 and above Devices
Geofencing is a virtual perimeter that allows organizations to create predefined virtual boundaries around real geographic areas. For Windows devices, geofencing enables IT administrators to restrict user’s actions on the device based on its location.
By defining these virtual boundaries through a Unified Endpoint Management solution, organizations ensure that devices comply with their security protocols when entering or leaving designated zones. This includes restricting access to sensitive data, enabling specific apps, and sending alerts to administrators.
Geofencing works by using location-based services such as GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular networks. When a Windows device crosses the defined boundary, it triggers pre-configured actions automatically. For instance, if a device exits an organization’s premises, it may block access to its networks or resources.
This capability enhances security by preventing unauthorized access risks and improves operational efficiency by automating policy enforcement, making geofencing a critical feature for modern IT management.
The need for Windows GeoFencing in modern enterprises
In the early stages of geofencing, it was primarily used by retailers to send SMS notifications to potential customers, driving engagement and foot traffic. However, with the advancements in tech and a sudden rise in the use of mobiles and desktops in enterprise settings, geofencing capabilities also evolved.
Today, modern enterprises use geofencing to monitor and manage fleets of endpoints, including mobile devices, desktops, and laptops based on their location. While geofencing initially gained traction for tracking Android and iOS devices, its application expanded with the increasing reliance on Windows-based desktops and laptops.
Organizations today are heavily reliant on Windows devices for daily operations. The significance of geo-fencing in modern businesses lies in its ability to provide real-time device location. Geofencing addresses the growing need for location-based security, ensuring sensitive organizational data remains protected based on device location.
Irrespective of the type of workforce – on-premise, remote, or globally distributed, organizations face common challenges like managing a large inventory of Windows devices, securing sensitive data, and adhering to compliance standards. Geofencing addresses them by enabling IT admins and businesses to define rules and policies based on the device location for maintaining device and data security.
For CIOs and IT admins of modern-day enterprises, adopting Windows geofencing is not just about enhancing security – it’s about staying ahead of modern IT challenges. Geofencing aligns context-based device management with current business needs, allowing enterprises to operate smarter and more efficiently.
With vs. Without GeoFencing: A comparison
The table below highlights the key differences between operating with and without geofencing, demonstrating how it enhances security, compliance, and device management.
| Aspect | Without Geofencing | With Geofencing |
| Data Security | Increased risk of unauthorized data access. | Restrict access to sensitive data or applications outside designated zones. |
| Device Usage Control | Lack of control over device usage in sensitive locations. | Monitor company devices or assets across multiple locations. |
| Compliance Management | Challenges in ensuring compliance with local policies. | Ensure adherence to data protection laws by enabling location-based policies. |
| Device Location | Unable to track the location of lost or stolen devices | Track the exact location of the lost, unattended, or stolen devices |
Industry-Specific Use Cases of Windows GeoFencing
Windows devices are widely adopted across industries due to their versatility, scalability, and extensive software compatibility. Below are use cases of industries that benefit from Windows geofencing:
1. Corporate Sector
Corporate organizations rely on Windows devices for tasks such as document creation, collaboration, and accessing business applications. Geofencing helps enforce location-based policies to secure data access by ensuring knowledge workers can access devices and company resources only within designated office premises or authorized locations.
For instance, a consulting firm like Deloitte may use geofencing to restrict access to confidential project files and applications on Windows devices to office premises or approved locations, ensuring data security and compliance.
2. Healthcare
Healthcare organizations maintain private patient records on their devices. Geofencing ensures that sensitive patient data can only be accessed within designated hospital or clinic premises, reducing the risk of data breaches.
For example, a hospital using Windows laptops and tablets ensures compliance with HIPAA by geofencing access to devices with medical records on hospital premises.
3. Education
Modern educational institutions have IFPDs installed for teaching purposes. Moreover, students use Windows devices in computer labs. Geofencing ensures that when these devices are within campus boundaries students and teachers access only appropriate websites and applications maintaining a controlled environment.
For instance, a university deploys Windows laptops for exams and geofences them to specific classrooms, ensuring students cannot access external networks or resources during the test.
4. BFSI
Windows devices in banks and financial institutions are used for maintaining customer transactions and data. Geofencing restricts access to sensitive customer databases to office locations, ensuring compliance with financial regulations such as PCI DSS.
For example, a bank like JPMorgan Chase must use geofencing to ensure financial data on their Windows devices is accessible only within branch locations or secure office environments.
Key features of Windows GeoFencing with Scalefusion UEM
Scalefusion’s Windows Geofencing allows you to track the movement of Windows-based devices and servers across predefined geographical boundaries. This feature creates a virtual perimeter around a specific region, enabling seamless tracking of Scalefusion-managed devices as they enter or exit the designated area. Here are some features you get to leverage:
1. Customizable Geofences
Scalefusion enables you to remotely create and manage multiple geofences at once. You can create two types of geofences for your Windows devices:
a. Circular GeoFence
A circular geofence creates a defined area based on a central point and a specified radius. This type of geofence is ideal for straightforward work locations. For example, users can access applications or log in to their devices only within the boundaries of an office or a school building. Circular geofences are quick to configure and particularly effective for smaller or regularly shaped areas.
b. Polygonal GeoFence
A polygonal geofence offers more granular customization allowing users to draw irregular boundaries on the map. This feature is useful for complex or non-standard locations, such as large industrial zones or university campuses. By marking precise points on the map, IT administrators can establish more accurate boundaries, ensuring that devices are managed in line with the specific location needs.
2. GeoFence-based Switch Profile
Scalefusion’s Windows Workflows lets you schedule automatic switching to pre-configured device profiles based on the GeoFence event. For example, school laptops can automatically switch to a restricted profile when they enter a geofenced campus, limiting access to educational apps and websites. However, outside the campus, they may revert to a flexible device profile while still maintaining essential security controls.
3. GeoFence Compliance
GeoFence Compliance allows you to create compliance based on the ‘moved in’ and ‘moved out’ events. For example, a hospital can create a GeoFence around its premises, restricting the access of sensitive patient data to devices once they enter the fenced area. This helps healthcare organizations maintain compliance with regulations like HIPAA, ensuring that patient information is protected while blocking data access outside designated areas.
4. GeoFence Logs
Geofence logs record device activity whenever a device enters or exits the designated geofenced area. These logs include precise timestamps of each event for accurate tracking.
5. Real-Time Alerts
Scalefusion provides real-time notifications in case a device breaches a geofence. This allows you to take timely data security measures such as remote data wipe and device lock. Real-time alters enable you to make informed decisions to ensure data security by preventing device or data abuse.
| Read More: How to Set Geofence for Windows Devices? |
Take a step towards advanced Windows Geofencing with Scalefusion UEM
Scalefusion UEM Windows Geofencing offers a simple and effective way to enhance security and manage devices based on location. By setting up customizable geofences and automated workflows, you can ensure that devices stay secure and compliant, on-site or remote. Scalefusion UEM is a smarter step towards modern Windows device management for your IT teams.
Book a demo or start your 14-day free trial to discover how Scalefusion UEM can transform endpoint management for your organization.
References
1. Statcounter
